Seven hundred and fortieth chapters connected heart
As Mother Jiang said, Miss Zhu Ying did go to the palace in the afternoon that day, and she was indeed left in the palace to have dinner at this moment. However, she was not at the Queen Mother's place in Qingning Palace, but in Qianqing Palace She was not alone with the emperor, there was another person accompanying her, it was her fiancé, Zhang Shou, who would be officially promoted to her husband in a few days.
And the other person called by the emperor to accompany him was the third prince, the crown prince.
The emperor obviously did not follow the rules of eating and sleeping. While eating, he asked Zhu Tingfang with great interest about the wedding yesterday, as if to make up for the regret of not being able to go there in person. So Zhu Ying was enjoying it. Zhang Shou honestly talked about the decoration of the new house and his sister-in-law, while Zhang Shou supplemented the description of the wedding banquet outside, including the "early birth of a precious son" given by the emperor, and they laughed and laughed for a while.
However, the third prince was obviously absent-minded, and even missed listening to what the three of them said several times, so that when someone mentioned him, he looked blank and confused. In the end, the little prince finally found that the surroundings were quiet. When he came down, he looked up and saw the emperor and Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying looking at him.
After the initial daze, he knew that he couldn't hide his distraction, so he simply put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, took a step back and knelt down. Seeing this, Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying naturally couldn't sit still, so they both stood up and stood. Behind the emperor. Anyway, neither of them are restrained people. They just chatted with the emperor, but they didn't eat less. Now they didn't have to stand hungry.
The emperor didn't seem surprised by the third prince's behavior. He just put away his smile, put down his chopsticks, and then asked calmly: "Sanlang, what are you doing? It's difficult to have a good meal with me. What?"
"My son..." The third prince also instinctively left the table and stood up and knelt down. Only then did he realize that he was very incapable of observing words and deeds when he suddenly made such a move when his father was rarely having a peaceful meal. However, In the past few days, he had spent a lot of time on the previous matter after studying. However, he had indeed gained something, but he found it difficult to talk about it.
Therefore, he calmed down, wrote the letter and said the truth: "My father has been depressed these days, and I cannot help you share your worries. Instead, I disturb your rare good mood. It is really against filial piety. However, I I just can't bear it anymore. Someone in the charity hall under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Ceremony turned himself into a thief and almost caused harm to the teacher's family. I was ordered to investigate for a few days, and the results have been obtained."
Zhu Ying originally thought that the third prince and the emperor had always been more like father and son than monarch and minister, so why did he suddenly act so solemnly today... Or maybe he was frightened. But at this time, he heard someone talking about the matter that had not yet been investigated clearly. As for the pending case, she couldn't help but forget about the surprise just now, and her attention was completely focused on the word "result" mentioned by the third prince.
"Your Highness, have you really found out the results?"
"Yes." The third prince hummed in a low voice, and his head lowered unconsciously. After a long while, he said in a low voice: "It was said before that those thieves were instigated by the eldest brother, but then there was another incident in Huairou. After hearing about the thieves who incited the people to surround the Imperial Manor, and the fact that the eldest brother committed suicide, people outside couldn't help but say that this confirmed that the person behind the scenes was the eldest brother."
"I also heard that Mr. Zhu, who was in charge of the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities, wrote a letter to plead guilty, saying that there was a fake messenger at the city gate to announce the death of his eldest brother. Later, after he was arrested and interrogated in person, people said that his eldest brother sent him. He died suddenly and inexplicably."
Listening to the third prince stating these facts that everyone knows, and also rarely calling the eldest prince his eldest brother, Zhang Shou couldn't help but have a vague feeling... that it would make the increasingly stable and reliable third prince unbearable.
He lost consciousness while eating, and then he stood up resolutely to report that what he was about to say was probably not trivial.
However, Zhu Ying didn't think so much. She thought that the third prince was trying to show off, so she couldn't help but asked eagerly: "Your Highness, can you tell me the important point? You are really anxious to death!"
Seeing that Zhu Ying was already urging her impatiently, Zhang Shou was silent, as if he had guessed something. The third prince wanted to look up and see what his father's expression was at this moment, but he was more worried about whether he thought he
After seeing it, I didn't dare to speak any more, so I simply forced myself not to peep, and instead directly revealed the answer to the mystery.
"My minister went from the previous Jimin Shantang to investigate one floor after another, followed the clues, and found out several big rats in the Supervisor of Ceremonies. In the end, he proved the innocence of Qian Ren, the chief seal of the Supervisor of Ceremonies."
"Qian Ren has been in charge of the Supervisor of Ceremonies not long ago, and he has never been involved in the world before, and has no connection with his eldest and second brothers. However, he is too old and has an overly loyal and honest personality. This palm seal is regarded as in name only, and the people below just regard him as a person.
The Bodhisattvas on the altar were doing their own thing and didn't listen to him at all. He didn't even know the existence of the good hall."
"As for those guys who were hanging out in the charity hall but were actually thieves, although they put all the blame on my eldest brother under torture, after I personally asked about it, I felt that what they said was not entirely true, so I started from
From the Bingma Division, the guard surnamed Shi is coming next to the eldest brother, and the book boy named Mo Hai is coming next to the second brother."
"My son ordered people to clean the guard surnamed Shi, put makeup on him, put him into clean clothes, blackened Mo Hai's face, and put on rags that looked like they had been torn after a fight, and then
They were tied up and brought to the front of the thieves. As a result, these people unanimously identified the guard surnamed Shi as Mo Hai, and identified Mo Hai as the guard surnamed Shi."
When the third prince talked about this scene, Zhang Shou finally couldn't help but praise it. Then, as if he realized that this was Qianqing Palace and not Ciqing Palace, he bowed to the emperor apologetically.
Bow.
"Your Majesty, I forgive you. I just didn't expect that His Highness the Crown Prince would be able to use psychological tricks at such a young age. Compared with torture, this trick is really a wonderful one." After saying this, he looked at the fourth prince with a smile and said.
, "Are those thieves insisting that the so-called guard named Shi they identified was the one who contacted them on the orders of the eldest prince and instructed them to sneak into my house through a secret passage?"
"That's right. Since they can admit everyone's mistakes, then of course their so-called instructions are just nonsense!"
The third prince didn't expect that his simple trick would be praised like this by Zhang Shou. After being slightly stunned, he said with a bit of shame: "The teacher is too complimentary. I just came up with this idea after an idea..."
He hesitated for a moment, but did not say that it was because during the personal interrogation, he saw that the thieves who tried to sneak into Tiangongfang through the secret passage were covered in bruises, obviously caused by torture, and he couldn't bear it for a moment - even if he
Knowing that the gentleman is far away from the kitchen, he actually does not have to face such a cruel situation in person, but he still hopes to be able to compete with wits without fighting with strength.
However, at this time, the third prince knew that he did not have the luxury to be happy with the teacher's affirmation, so he just said in a humble voice and said in a deep voice: "So, it has been proved that what the eldest brother instigated was false, so I interrogated them sternly and followed them."
Eunuch Chu, on the other hand, used a list of ancient and modern tortures as a threat, which really frightened them out of their wits."
Of course, at that time, even he was frightened to death...
Zhu Ying couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "His Royal Highness concealed the truth and Eunuch Chu was bluffing. You guys cooperated really well. After those people were frightened, did they speak the truth?"
This time, the third prince finally plucked up the courage to raise his head and glance at his father. He saw that the emperor was still sitting there quietly, with no joy or anger on his face. It was not even possible to tell whether he had already known about it because he had received the report.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Because these people had their lies exposed and were tortured and intimidated by Eunuch Chu, they revealed the truth, saying that the handle of the Shantang had been manipulated and blackmailed, so they had to listen to others and sneak into Zhang Yuan. They were supposed to be released.
He ran away as soon as he was on fire, and who knew he would just bump into the net. Eunuch Chu sternly asked them who they were trying to threaten, but they couldn't tell."
This is a very normal result - after all, if the person who threatens is found out who he is, wouldn't it be a joke? Zhang Shou had such a thought in his mind, and he was thinking about whether the emperor could do it because of the big deal.
The prince had one less crime to commit, so he felt better. Who would have thought that after the third prince cleared the eldest prince of one crime, he suddenly changed his tone.
"But I later transferred several attendants from Jiuzhangtang. When I suddenly went to review the accounts of the Director of Ceremonies, I discovered that a large amount of money had been transferred to Jimin Shantang. However, several officials who had been found
It was impossible to verify whether the old man in charge of rituals died of illness or returned to his hometown in a short period of time. Fortunately, Mr. Zhu found out another thing, saying that the scholar Mo Hai came from Jimin Shantang."
"And Mo Hai claimed that he was still studying in the inner book hall, but because of his appearance, he was given to his second brother by a certain father-in-law from above. The son asked Eunuch Chu to go to the inner book hall of the Si Lijian to check whether there was really such a person.
Name and surname. Moreover, Mo Hai is indeed... indeed a eunuch."
At this moment, Zhang Shou suddenly saw that the emperor's originally stern... or indifferent face finally showed some anger that could no longer be concealed. Especially when the third prince said next that the person was a eunuch.
At this moment, the emperor finally couldn't help but slapped the table hard, and in a fit of anger he swept the cup in front of him to the ground.
"It's so audacious...it's ridiculous!"
When the third prince said this and saw his father being so angry, he finally plucked up the courage to say: "Actually, at the end of the investigation, Eunuch Chu told his son that he suspected that his second brother was actually still alive in the world."
At that moment, even Zhu Ying couldn't help but widen her eyes. Zhang Shou laughed in his heart. What he was thinking was not that it was really the case, but... a person whose life and death were difficult to confirm, no matter he was the real incarnation.
Whether he is the mastermind behind the scenes, or he is thrown out as a scapegoat, that is very suitable.
The emperor, who had just listened quietly to the third prince's words without interrupting, finally asked: "That's what Chu Kuan said. So, Sanlang, what do you think?"
"My son... I think what Eunuch Chu said is taken for granted!" The third prince finally mustered up the greatest courage and looked directly at the emperor's suddenly sharp eyes without fear, "The eldest brother and the second brother did do it in the past.
He has done many wrong things, and he cannot be considered a good brother. Even my son and I are still brooding about the past, but..."
"But I feel that they have made mistakes again and again, and have been dealt with so harshly by my father. If they are truly loyal followers, they should follow them instead of stirring up trouble in the dark. Because doing those things requires money, and in
Father Huang Lei was so angry that he killed and expelled everyone around them, and then confiscated all their private property. The eldest brother and the second brother were left with no money."
"Without status and money, how can you do those things? If you want to grasp the key points of Jimin Shantang and coerce the people inside to work for it, you may not need money, but why should you leave such a handle at this time?
If they use their talents earlier, no matter the eldest brother or the second brother, won’t they be able to better understand the father’s thoughts and won’t often anger him?”
"Maybe it's because everyone is pushing against me, maybe someone wants to please my son... Or maybe someone has ulterior motives, so they just set up traps and blame everything on the eldest brother and second brother who have already made many mistakes...
"
He himself felt that the more he spoke, the more incoherent he was, so he simply stopped his speculations, lowered his head and said, "I was so frightened that I failed to get to the bottom of things. Instead, I found myself in a panic. I have failed my father."
"
Zhu Ying just woke up from a dream. She was about to speak, but she didn't expect her sleeve to be grabbed by someone. Looking sideways, she found that Zhang Shou, who was supposed to be standing on the other side of the emperor at some point, had
, this actually went around her.
Seeing the eldest lady casting a doubtful look at him, Zhang Shou shook his head, and then said softly: "They say that young people don't know the feeling of sadness, so they just talk about it in order to compose new lyrics. But the sadness of His Highness is not his.
Thinking too much. Your Majesty, I actually wanted to say it a long time ago, whether it was when I and Yingying were assassinated in the bamboo forest and green clouds in the village, or later..."
"Some of them may really be done by the eldest prince and the second prince, but some may not be done by them. However, if they do too many wrong things and evil things, even if they refuse to admit it, some cases will not lead to results, and they will become accustomed to it.
The ground fell on their heads. Of course, if the emperor wants to ask for any evidence, I can only say that there is no evidence. I just feel that some things are not so natural."
Seeing that the emperor's sharp eyes finally turned from the third prince to him, Zhang Shou looked back calmly.
Anyway, he has never directed or acted by himself, and he has nothing to do with his heart. Even if he cheated the eldest prince and the second prince a few times, he did it openly and told the emperor a long time ago. Since he didn't do anything to hurt his heart, what should he be afraid of?
Long Yan is furious?
And Zhu Ying had no idea that the brothers of the eldest prince and the second prince, who were clearly said to be dead, would still cause such a lot of disputes. Especially when she saw that the third prince was still kneeling on the ground at this time, with a look on his face.
Feeling indescribably sad, Zhang Shou said she was calm and composed, but the emperor's eyes seemed to be murderous, and she finally couldn't help coughing heavily.
"Neither Ah Shou nor His Royal Highness is a master who specializes in investigating cases. There are many masters in the world who are good at investigating difficult cases. Since there are doubts, let's send such masters to investigate!"
"No matter whether the eldest prince and the second prince are dead or alive, isn't it possible to feel at ease only if the truth comes to light?"
Hearing this very Zhu Ying-style suggestion, the emperor thought he would get angry, scold the naive, and blame it as an afterthought. However, he, who had been in a bad mood for the past few days, couldn't help but laugh: "
Yingying, among the people in the capital who are good at this kind of chaos now, there is your eldest brother, do you still want him as a newlywed to wade into such muddy waters?"