There was silence in the interrogation room for a while.
Faced with Xiao Chen's words, Cao Guangtian and the other two could not find any reason to refute.
In fact, when he first received the order from the King of Han, Cao Guangtian was a little hesitant.
Over the years, the court has treated me well. Now, in order to repay the so-called kindness, I ignored the court and did the opposite.
To put it lightly, it is selfishness. To put it seriously, it is treason.
But, in the end, he still chose to execute the order.
Cao Guangtian was not surprised at all when he was caught in Dongchang Prison. Even after being tortured all night, he did not have any hatred towards Dongchang or the court.
After all, you make the first mistake.
On the contrary, if he could die in Dongchang Prison, it would be a kind of relief for him.
He didn't want to disappoint the King of Han, nor did he want to disappoint the imperial court. But being caught between the two, I was afraid that only by dying would he not feel ashamed of either party.
Now, a few words from Xiao Chen hit home again, and Cao Guangtian felt even more embarrassed.
"I'm just such a person. If I make a mistake, I'll deal with it as you please." Cao Guangtian's head was still strong.
"Are you going to die? If so, will it be over? You are such an irresponsible man, why are you pretending to be a tough guy?" Xiao Chen said coldly.
"Compensation? How to compensate? Go back and kill the King of Han? I can't do this kind of thing of killing my benefactor." Cao Guangtian was actually a little angry, and his voice became louder.
"First of all, do you want to create public opinion that is unfavorable to the prince and want to change the selection of successors in the imperial court?" Xiao Chen changed the topic.
Hearing these words, Cao Guangtian's momentum dropped again: "I admit that I am wrong on this point."
"Now, rumors are spreading on the streets that the King of Han is the most suitable successor to the throne. This is all your own doing. You can be regarded as repaying his kindness. However, as for the unfair public opinion caused by the prince, if you are a man, just
Don't think about dying to apologize," Xiao Chen said.
"What else can I do? Now that I'm at this stage, what else can I do?"
"You are seriously injured, and you won't be able to recover for a while. However, I will keep the person next to you intact. How you damaged the prince's reputation in the past, you will restore it to him now." Xiao Chen said.
.
Cao Guangtian was stunned, looked at the storyteller next to him, and then looked at Xiao Chen: "What do you mean, let him continue storytelling and change the direction?"
Xiao Chen nodded: "Only by minimizing your fault can you be worthy of the favor that the imperial court has given you over the years. Of course, if the crown prince's call to inherit the throne can cover up everything that happened before, you can return to the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Continue to use your own efforts to make up for the guilt in your heart."
Cao Guangtian had such a big mouth that he couldn't believe his ears.
During the night of torture last night, he had already treated himself like a dead person. Pretending to be unconscious while enduring the severe pain all over his body was because he had reached the limit of his ability to endure the torture.
I originally planned to die in Dongchang Prison today in order to seek liberation.
Now, Xiao Chen's words gave him endless hope.
Not only could he make up for the guilt he felt towards the imperial court, but he could also gain a new life. This kind of ending that he didn't even dare to think about, he actually had a choice.
"You are right. After experiencing the torture of Dongchang Prison, I am worthy of the King of Han. Now, the only thing left in my heart is the guilt towards the court. If you can give me this opportunity, I am willing to go to the King of Han in person.
Street, publicize the prince's benevolence and righteousness." Cao Guangtian said with a bit of urgency, his eyes shining brightly.
"Okay, I'll give you this opportunity. As long as you can make these negative public opinions disappear from the capital and be replaced by correct public opinions that promote benevolence and righteousness, I promise you to continue to be the head of your household department."
Cao Guangtian shook his head: "How can I still have the face to go to the household department and continue working? As long as you give me a chance to eliminate negative public opinion."
"Come here, take off their shackles, give them some simple treatment, and let them out." Xiao Chen ordered loudly.
...
A few days later, Xiao Chen once again took to the streets in casual clothes.
The people in the streets in small groups no longer discussed the suitability of the King of Han to inherit the throne.
Occasionally, when we talk about affairs in the court, we always focus on the prince's benevolence and righteousness. He was imprisoned in Dongchang Prison just for the prince to experience life.
Listening to the talk on the street, Xiao Chen showed a satisfied smile.
"This Cao Guangtian really dares to brag. He can even make up this nonsense that the prince went to Dongchang Prison to experience life. However, I haven't cared about the prince's recovery for a few days. I have nothing to do today, so I went to chat with him.
Right." Xiao Chen thought to himself.
It has been almost ten days since the prince was taken into custody. In the cell, Zhu Gaochi's voice, howling for food, was so low that only he could hear it.
The daily meals, from the first two bowls of cold water to two bowls of soup made from unknown bones, have become a luxury.
Returning to Dongchang Prison, Xiao Chen walked straight towards the cell where Zhu Gaochi was imprisoned.
Pushing open the door, Xiao Chen looked at the small bed in the corner by the firelight on the wall.
Zhu Gaochi was lying calmly on the bed, his whole body had lost weight.
The rope on his body has been untied, and only his legs are still wrapped in a layer of soap-colored cloth strips, which are fastening his ankles in circles.
A lot of the fat on his face has also disappeared. Perhaps because of losing weight, some wrinkles appeared on the corners of his brow and eyes, making Zhu Gaochi look a bit mature.
Hearing the sound, Zhu Gaochi slowly turned his head and looked over.
"Can you give me something to eat? Anything is fine. I'm not picky about food." He looked at Xiao Chen pitifully. His begging eyes didn't look like a prince's, but just like an old beggar struggling with hunger.
"Eat? Your Highness, don't you want to have a perfect figure? Look down and see for yourself, you will soon have a normal body. If Your Highness wants to give up, I can send you food. What do you want to eat?
Beef or seafood?" Xiao Chen said with a smile.
Zhu Gaochi licked his lips and swallowed hard: "Or, I'd better not eat. In the past, if I sat up, I would feel suffocated. The fat on my belly was so crowded that I couldn't bend down.
. Now, sitting feels very relaxed." As he said that, Zhu Gaochi stood up straight with his hands on the bed as if to show off.
Seeing Zhu Gaochi moving very easily, Xiao Chen felt a strong sense of accomplishment in his heart.
If the prince could walk up to the emperor with a normal posture, he would definitely be surprised.
"That's right, keep persisting." Xiao Chen smiled and patted Zhu Gaochi on the shoulder as he treated the captain of Dongchang.
