Soon, another box was dug out under the floor tiles of Li Cheng's bedroom, which was buried very secretly. There were some personal belongings and a few letters inside. The letters were not titled or signed. But this obviously could not be difficult for "Bai".
"Riding" detective experts, several people confirmed and discussed with each other, and then came to a conclusion.
The paper used for the calligraphy and calligraphy is of excellent quality, tough and moisturizing, smooth but not slippery, white and dense, with pure texture. It is the best Xuanzhou paper. The annual output is extremely limited, and ordinary wealthy people cannot afford it even if they spend a lot of money.
have to.
Xuan paper "began in the Tang Dynasty and was produced in Jing County." Because Jing County was under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou in the Tang Dynasty, it was named Xuan paper after the place. Some people have used Xuan paper for calligraphy and painting very early, but the prosperity of the name Xuan paper began with
In the middle Tang Dynasty, it became famous all over the world. Therefore, rice paper in this period was not very popular, but people familiar with the situation know that Prince Li Chengqian liked this kind of paper the most...
Just like this, naturally the object of suspicion cannot be pointed at the prince.
But then, in the content of one of the letters, a title was discovered - Chuchen...
The letter said that after Li Cheng accomplished his mission, he could go find this person called "Chuchen" and he would naturally meet his cousin and family members, and then someone would arrange for his family to escape overseas.
The efficiency of "Hundred Cavalry" is amazing. Just a few hours after His Majesty Li Er returned to Taiji Palace with a gloomy look, the identity of this "Chuchen" was found out. He was a member of Xuandu Temple in Chongye Square.
Taoist priests, there are rumors that this Taoist method is profound, that he can use talismans to get rid of evil spirits, and that he can achieve good results after a hundred trials. He is quite famous.
But this Taoist priest and another fellow disciple Wei Lingfu were guests of the prince.
At the same time, "Hundred Riders" also discovered an unexpected thing. There was a musical boy named Ruan Xin in Taichang Temple. He was beautiful and good at singing and dancing. The prince favored him and regarded him as a treasure...
After tracing the investigation to this point, no one dares to continue the investigation. Who dares to make mistakes when it comes to the secrets of the royal family? If something even more dirty is discovered by accident, not only will the royal family lose face, but also those who investigated the case.
There is no good end for the people, and there is no guarantee that the furious His Majesty Li Er will not chop them all down to vent his anger.
Although there is no evidence that clearly shows that Li Cheng was held hostage by the prince and framed Wei Wang Li Tai, it is enough.
Next, it depends on His Majesty the Emperor’s wishes.
If you continue to trust the prince, then the matter will naturally end here and all the evidence will be destroyed.
If he is extremely disappointed with the prince, then the emperor must let the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple take over, give an upright trial, and then depose the prince. After all, the "Hundred Cavalry" is just the emperor's personal minions, and naturally cannot pursue the prince's case openly.
, otherwise once this example is started, "Hundred Cavalry" will definitely become an existence beyond the Tang Dynasty system, which is not a good thing.
His Majesty Li Er looked at the investigation books in front of him, his brows furrowed and he was full of depression.
If it were Li Cheng alone, no matter what evidence he found, His Majesty Li Er would not believe the authenticity of this matter. He might even suspect that King Li Tai of Wei had directed a painful show to frame the prince...
…
However, as more and more people were dug out, His Majesty Li Er had to believe it.
The Taoist priest of Xuandu Temple came out of the world, his lay name was Qin Ying, and he and his junior brother Wei Lingfu were enshrined by the prince. They often met in the East Palace to perform rituals and open altars for the prince. As for what altar to open and what rituals to perform? Li Er
Your Majesty is not willing to take care of it, nor does he dare to take care of it...
The most important thing is actually another person who appears on this list, the Letong from Taichang Temple.
Taichang Temple, Zhangling Temple Group Sacrifice, Ritual and Music Ceremony System, is the highest administrative organ in charge of rituals and music. The status of the music boy of Taichang Temple is equivalent to that of an actor...
"Hundred Riders" discovered that this person often went out of the East Palace and was picked up and dropped off by the prince every time. The relationship between him and the prince was naturally self-evident.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, wealthy people's preference for masculine styles was not a shameful thing. Instead, they were complacent about it. It gradually became a trend, attracting countless scholars and literati to imitate it, which was spectacular. His Majesty Li Er is not a Taoist gentleman. For such people,
Customs are just personal preferences and have nothing to do with the stability of the country. Naturally, he is too lazy to care about them.
But as the crown prince of the country, the prince did not favor the beautiful concubines in the East Palace and did not contribute to the empire. This made him angry. The key was that the status of the prince was different, and the people took this kind of thing lightly, but
If the prince does this, it may affect the general atmosphere of the country.
His Majesty Li Er cannot bear it.
But it was already difficult for him to make a decision on how to deal with the prince...
His Majesty Li Er has a strong character. At that time, he realized that as his military exploits became more and more prominent, the ministers in the court became more and more inclined to him, and Prince Yin Li Jiancheng became more and more suspicious of him. Of course, he also found that
His ambition has grown bigger and bigger, and is gradually unstoppable... Once Li Jiancheng ascends the throne, what he will face is likely to be a glass of poisonous wine or three feet of white silk, so he immediately launches violent methods, even if he is responsible for killing brothers.
In order to gain notoriety, he also brazenly launched the Xuanwu Gate Revolution, and then forced his father to make him the crown prince. Soon after, he hijacked his father again, abdicated the throne in favor of a worthy man, and ascended the throne himself.
Decisiveness in killing is his most proud characteristic, but now, this decision is really difficult to make.
Depose the prince?
This is actually very simple. Even if Li Tai is appointed as the crown prince, it will be a piece of cake. This confidence comes from his control of the court situation. He firmly believes that as long as his own attitude is firm, even the most important ministers who are opposed to Yi Chu will
He also had to welcome the new crown prince honestly.
However, the bad consequences of doing so have to make His Majesty Li Er hesitate...
His own throne came through a coup. If the next emperor ascends the throne by someone other than his direct eldest son, then it is very likely that this tradition will be deeply ingrained among his descendants. The throne can be sought, and even fought for, who can still
Will he hold his legitimate eldest son in his arms and watch others become emperors?
It is impossible to say that every subsequent change of imperial power in the Tang Dynasty will be accompanied by intrigues and bloodshed, and this will greatly shake the country's foundation, which is definitely not what His Majesty Li Er wants.
Should we just let the prince falsely accuse his brother like this?
Of course it’s impossible!
If I don't depose you, you are already lucky. Why do you still want to pretend that nothing has happened?
Therefore, His Majesty Li Er summoned Fang Xuanling into the palace and informed him of the cause and effect of the matter as well as his decision. Although he did not have the same unreserved trust in Fang Xuanling as Changsun Wuji, he never trusted him in the palace.
There is something hidden about these royal secrets.
Fang Xuanling's temperament determines that he will be a pure minister and absolutely worthy of trust.
The only difference is the identity of Changsun Wuji, the uncle of the country...
*****
In the East Palace, Prince Li Chengqian listened to Fang Xuanling narrating what happened in Prince Wei's Mansion. His mouth opened wide and his expression was dull, as if he had been struck by an unreasonable thunder from the sky. He did not recover for a long time. After a long while, Li Chengqian suddenly jumped three feet high.
, cursed loudly: "This is ridiculous! Where has Gu ever done such a thing? I have been living in seclusion for many days, asking teachers to teach me about my studies, and I have never arranged for anyone to go and kidnap the relatives and family members of the servants of Prince Wei. This is really a frame-up. It must be Qingque."
The fellow shouted to catch the thief and staged a painful trick to show the father. I want to go to the father and ask the father to clear my name!"
If you really sit at home behind closed doors, disaster will come from heaven!
Fang Xuanling really didn't believe him when he was so clear about himself: "Is His Highness really being wronged? So, is Xinxin in the East Palace now?"
Li Chengqian's expression changed instantly and he remained silent...
Kong Yingda raised his eyelids, glanced at Li Chengqian who was blushing, and sighed slightly. Zhang Xuansu said angrily: "You are the prince, how can you learn the dirty behavior in the market? You have been enlightened since childhood, and you have spent these many years as a sage.
Have you forgotten all the books? That’s ridiculous!”
His blunt rebuke made Li Chengqian even more embarrassed.
Fang Xuanling sighed and advised in a low voice: "His Royal Highness has a different status than others. He is the crown prince of the country. Every word and deed will be watched and scrutinized by countless people. If there is a slight mistake, it will cause unexpected trouble. Your Majesty has ordered the old minister to
We have brought the princes and lords from the palace to arrest Cheng Xin. Please order someone to bring him out..."