Eunuch Cao came out and said, "Is there any news?"
"I found the Zhuangzi that His Highness Li Rong talked about, but the building was empty." Xu Jian replied.
Eunuch Cao was not surprised.
Xu Jian entered and reported the search status of the past two days: "All the documents found were brought back, and Mr. Wan sent them to Qianbu Corridor."
In the Yamen of Dali Temple over there, a room was specially set up to pile up documents related to the case.
The old people who were doing the accounting and sorting were also sitting there, comparing and calculating bit by bit.
Even if the night shift is added every day, there is only "some progress" and it is still early to sort it out completely.
Investigating a case, especially a case like this that has taken more than ten or twenty years and been carefully planned, the most important thing is time.
However, when the situation is urgent, the most lacking thing is time.
"It can take a little longer to complete the details of the case. It needs to be thorough, careful, and correct, but Li Du must be caught as soon as possible." The Holy Master sighed.
Xu Jian responded, then changed the topic and mentioned Li Shao: "His Highness also asked me this morning about how to deal with His Highness Li Rong."
"Shao'er also asked me," the Holy Sage said, "What do you think?"
"My idea is not complete," Xu Jian said cautiously. "I was busy searching the mountain this morning, and I didn't have a chance to discuss it with His Highness. I really want to hear his idea."
The Holy Emperor had no objection and signaled Eunuch Cao to invite Li Shao.
Not only Xu Jian, but the Emperor himself also wanted to hear more about Shao'er's political opinions.
In the current situation, of course it was himself who ultimately issued the decree, but there was no harm in listening more.
Li Shao arrived soon.
"You've found Zhuangzi? It's empty?" Li Shao snorted, "Can it be empty? If Li Rong ran away, who would stay in that Zhuangzi!"
His tone was very dissatisfied, and finally he asked: "Father, why don't you just kill Li Rong?
Speaking of which, the Weifu should have killed Li Du directly that day!
He died on the spot, how can there be anything about the golden cicada escaping from its shell!"
"Your Highness," Xu Jian said in a calm voice, not affected by Li Shao's excitement at all, "A wise king cannot rule the world without going through a review and investigation. The regulations are clear and clear, so they will not be implemented according to the facts. How can he kill someone at the first sign?
What’s the truth? What’s more, he’s still a prince.”
Li Shao showed dissatisfaction and asked: "According to what you said, if I find a rebel, I have to feed him for several months, so that I can find him?"
"Is it a true rebel or a frame-up? Your Highness, how can you tell if you don't find out clearly?" Xu Jian said.
"Li Du admitted everything on the spot." Li Shao became a little anxious.
"Your Highness," Xu Jian glanced at His Majesty and then said to Li Shao, "I am talking about His Highness Li Rong now."
Li Shao couldn't help but be speechless, and after a while he said angrily, "Just kill him."
"The pros and cons have been discussed a lot by other adults in the morning, and Your Highness has listened to them all," Xu Jian said, "I have some new clues here..."
What he was talking about was the confessions of the hunters and medicine farmers who Chen Gui had inquired about.
"So," the Holy Master said, "if it hadn't been for the chance encounter with the cousins in Uncle Chengyi's house, Li Rong would really have died in the mountain col?"
Xu Jian replied: "At present, it seems that is the case."
"I don't think so," Li Shao insisted. "It's just a coincidence now. If it turns out to be an unlucky coincidence, it can naturally be arranged to make it a coincidence. According to what the imperial doctor said, Li Rong can still hold on for another day or two, as long as he still has breath."
, can’t we find an Orion reporting officer and bring it back?”
This method is completely feasible.
Therefore, Xu Jian did not deny Li Shao, but echoed: "What your Highness said is true, and it can indeed be so."
Li Shao received echoes and became more insistent: "So he should be killed."
The Holy Spirit was noncommittal.
Xu Jian paid attention to His Majesty's expression and continued to talk to Li Shao: "Your Highness, the clan members are particularly opposed to it."
"Clan?" Li Shao curled his lips with obvious disdain, "Did Uncle Ping say something, or did Great Aunt Baoying say something?
They didn't say anything.
Uncle Ping was still involved in government affairs in recent years, and Aunt Baoying and the Empress Dowager moved around a lot. Even they didn't speak for Li Rong, but others came to join him!
I don’t see much happening on weekdays, but this time one of them jumped out.
I think they were afraid that Li Du would come back to settle the score with them, so they wanted to please both sides and act as wallflowers.
Each and every one of them, relying on their little blood relationship and their surname Li, pointed at them."
Li Shao has always annoyed those so-called clan members.
That’s all for those who are really close to them, and there are also some who are about to be released into the fifth server. It would be honorable to call them relatives, which is what the old saying goes, “poor relatives of the emperor’s family.”
One day he stopped in front of the palace. Not to mention that Li Shao couldn't recognize everything, he guessed that his father might not be able to recognize it either.
Just those people, if someone named Li does something, they can collapse the door of the clan's mansion.
Obviously, all administrative matters had been handed over to the Ministry of Rites a few years ago, and the Zongren Mansion existed in name only. It was crowded all year round, but these days it was more lively than the market.
Xu Jian added: "The purpose of keeping His Highness Li Rong is to find Li Du as soon as possible. Even His Highness Li Rong can save his life. All the other ministers need to do is stand up..."
"I don't think so," Li Shao interrupted Xu Jian, "Those who know Li Du's plans and whereabouts are all close friends and will not defect. There is no use in wooing those who don't know.
Why not kill a few more to scare the monkeys and let them know the consequences of rebelling with Li Du!
Let me think about it, maybe hang Li Rong’s head on the city gate?”
The Holy Emperor said nothing, just looked at Li Shao quietly.
There is indeed no clear answer to whether to kill or not to kill. The final decision is just a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
At first, when the Holy Emperor heard Li Shao say "kill", he thought he was being decisive, but the more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
That is no longer decisive, but ruthless.
In other words, the murderous intent is too strong.
This murderous intent was revealed little by little as the conversation progressed, and it was like a hot flame, running straight up.
Did someone else guide Shaoer?
not at all.
He just sat here and listened, and the Holy Master could clearly hear every word Xu Jian said.
Xu Jian was making a statement without any obvious inclination. It was not until he heard that Shao Er had murderous intentions that he tried to persuade her, but Shao Er didn't listen.
In other words, there are some differences between what Shao'er heard, what Xu Jian stated, and what the Holy Father heard himself.
It was at this moment that the Holy Master realized why Shaoer originally said that Xu Jian cheated him.
Nine times out of ten it's the same.
Something went wrong between what was heard and what was said.
If we don't come together, there will naturally be differences and contradictions.
"Shao'er," the Holy One said with seriousness and sincerity, "Don't ever mention the idea of hanging up the city gate again. Li Rong's surname is Li. He is only eleven years old. He is not the one who committed the heinous crime. Even if he wants to do it for
If you pay the price for Li Du's incident, it shouldn't be such a tragic situation."
Li Shao's face turned pale. He didn't dare to contradict his father. He lowered his head and replied, "I know I was wrong."
Xu Jian looked as usual.
In the days to come, he and Lin Yunyan wanted to sit back and relax. Apart from catching Li Du, they could not let Li Shao make a comeback.
I have to say, Li Shao is still Li Shao.
Li Shao has always believed that those who obey me will prosper and those who go against me will perish.
He is still afraid of the Holy One now, and when he takes control of the power of life and death, he will be unscrupulous.
In the past, Uncle Chengyi's residence only deprived him of his rank but did not behead him. The charges were really ridiculous and absurd, with insufficient evidence and unconvincing, so much so that even the civil and military ministers stopped him and tried to persuade him.
You can't change what's in your heart.
Xu Jian deliberately asked the Holy One to summon Li Shao today, and also wanted the Holy One to see more of Li Shao's fierceness.
And Li Shao lived up to expectations and showed it.
The other side.
Lin Yunyan got the Empress Dowager's approval, left Cining Palace and went to Jingxin Hall.
There were not many guards in the Jingxin Hall, but everyone was serious. It was quiet inside and out, and it was extremely boring.
Lin Yunyan walked in and saw Li Rong through the open window.
Li Rong is still recovering from his illness.
The little boy who was originally a little chubby went through this ordeal, and his chin looked a bit sharp.
A pair of dark eyes looked at the people entering the yard.
When their eyes met, he suddenly bent his eyes and showed a shy smile.
Lin Yunyan walked a few steps over, stood on the corridor, and said hello through the window: "Your Highness looks much better."
"The person who discovered me was the princess's cousin?" Li Rong said, "I am very grateful to them. I should have given them some gifts to express my gratitude, but I have nothing now."
"Your Highness, you are welcome. This is why my cousin met Your Highness." Lin Yunyan clasped her hands in the direction of the Buddhist hall in the main hall. After bowing, she said to Li Rong, "Your Highness, rest more. I will go see the princess."
After saying that, she walked down the steps here, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the west side hall.
The windows of the west side hall are also open.
The original purpose was to allow mother and son to look at each other through the window for comfort, so Princess Jin sat under the window.
Lin Yunyan entered the palace and said, "Your Majesty, if you have something to say, please let me bring it to the princess."
Princess Jin was startled and looked out the window subconsciously.
Li Rong was lying by the window, looking at her eagerly.
Princess Jin felt a pain in her heart, and her eyes turned to Lin Yunyan and Li Rong. After all, she didn't want to close the window, so she got up and moved around, and the two of them sat at the small table.
You can't see outside the table.
Princess Jin knew it, but she still couldn't help but want to tilt her body to reach it and try to see.
"The empress is very worried about Your Highness." Lin Yunyan said.
"Yes, my own son, how can I not worry about him?" Princess Jin touched the jade bracelet on her hand, "I also want to thank the princess, otherwise I may never see Rong'er again in my life.
I wanted to give the princess a gift, but everything was confiscated. The few items I had left with me were ordinary, far less than what the princess used on a daily basis.
Besides, in this situation, if I give anything to anyone, I am causing trouble for them."
Lin Yunyan smiled.
She knew that Princess Jin was not stingy, and that was indeed the case.
Mentioning Li Rong, Princess Jin couldn't help but get a little emotional: "One day, one day, one day, one day, one day, one day, the prince's mistake, the land became like this!
I originally thought that although the prince took Rong'er away, although he shouldn't, he still wanted to protect his son.
He fought over and over again, but in the end he fought for Rong'er.
Now it seems that I made a mistake! How could he really care about Rong'er?
If the people looking after her were more caring, they wouldn't let Rong'er sneak out, fall down the mountain, and almost die!
A tiger's poison does not eat its seeds, so he only hurts me. What did he do to harm Rong'er! Rong'er is only eleven years old!
I can only comfort myself by saying that this is a blessing in disguise.
The prince took the wrong path, and Rong'er followed him, even if it was not voluntary, he would not be able to escape punishment in the future.
It would be better to escape back. No matter whether he lives or dies in the future, at least he has spoken out and let everyone know that he does not want to participate in the rebellion."
Lin Yunyan heard what Princess Jin said, but she had different opinions: "I don't think so."
Princess Jin was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting to be refuted.
But that's what she really thought.
Did she think wrong somewhere?
"Your Highness is eleven years old. If he stayed in the palace and was arrested with you, he would not be as free as you. A man is a man," Lin Yunyan said very directly. "On the contrary, he disappeared for a while and then escaped. How can he still
I have more of a mother-son bond with you. Look, he is in the side hall opposite now, and you can see him as long as you stand by the window."
Princess Jin thought for a while and said sarcastically: "So, it's a blessing in disguise."
"Whether it is a blessing or a curse, the jury is still out," Lin Yunyan looked deeply at Princess Jin and said in a deep tone, "The depth of the fate between mother and son depends on what His Highness thinks."
Princess Jin's eyes widened suddenly: "What does the princess mean by this?"
"Everyone in the court has their own ideas on how to deal with His Highness Li Rong's affairs," Lin Yunyan said. "I don't need to explain the specific situation in detail. I think the princess can understand it.
Your Highness can still stay here to recuperate, which is not only the Empress Dowager's consideration, but also the kindness of Your Majesty.
But you also said that no one dares to say what will happen to the sky or the earth tomorrow."
Princess Jin looked at Lin Yunyan blankly.
"Zhi Zi Mo Ruo Mu," Lin Yunyan held Princess Jin's hand, her tone was soft but firm, "If Your Highness is sincere, I will treat him the same way I treat you. If Your Highness has other ideas...
Princess, you revealed the false identity earlier, and the Empress Dowager greatly appreciated it.
Although husband and wife are one body, they also care about right and wrong. King Jin made too many mistakes and hid them too deeply.
If His Highness Li Rong is too deeply influenced by him, that would be really worrying.
My dear, let me tell you, opportunities are given by others, but you can also seize them by yourself.
What do you think? Princess."
Princess Jin's fingers trembled, and her whole body was shaking.
His lips were pouting, his eyes were misty, and his eye sockets were red.
But none of this could express her feelings.
Her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.
She understood every word the princess said.
She also understood what the empress dowager wanted the princess to convey.
It is precisely because it is so clear that it hurts so much.
She can resolutely abandon the prince. The prince is unkind, so what if she is unjust?
Ke Rong'er is her son!
As a mother, how can you leave your own child?
"Princess," Princess Jin choked and said, "I believe in Rong'er, and I believe that what he told is the truth. He finally escaped back, and I, I don't want to doubt him!"
Ke Rong'er is her son!
As a mother, how can you leave your own child?
"Princess," Princess Jin choked and said, "I believe in Rong'er, and I believe that what he told is the truth. He finally escaped back, and I, I don't want to doubt him!"
