sick prince phoenix concubine

Chapter 142 Bloodworm

At this point, Zhou Dong paused for a moment, looked at Shen Tianlei and continued:
"If it is said that he went directly to the underground palace when he arrived at the Guqu Tower, then that would make sense."

"It's nonsense!" Shen Tianlei stood up directly, "My son was injured one after another before, the emperor knew about it, and now he can't get off the ground, how can he do what Zhou Shoubei said?"

Facing the accusation, Zhou Dong looked calm:
"Weichen hasn't finished his words yet, it's not too late for Patriarch Shen to speak after listening.

"The above remarks are just one of Weichen's guesses, as for whether Shen Yanzhi is suspected or not, we need the imperial physician to go to Shen's residence to appraise his injuries before making a conclusion.

"If it is true that Shen Yanzhi is seriously injured and unable to go to the ground, as Patriarch Shen said, then this is Weichen's second guess.

"Someone went to the Guqu Tower under the guise of Shen Yanzhi to do such unconscionable things.

"Weichen would like to ask Patriarch Shen, did you let this matter know or not?"

Shen Tianlei immediately denied it: "I am a majestic head of the family, why do I pay attention to these trivial things all the time?"

Zhou Dong nodded: "Weichen thinks it's the same.

"If Patriarch Shen knew about it, he would definitely not let such people who ruined the family style continue to do such things in the name of the Shen family."

"The Shen family is my long-standing family in Tianqi, since Zhou Dong has already intervened in this matter, you will be fully responsible for the investigation.

"You must find out the truth and restore the Shen family's innocence.

"On this matter, Patriarch Shen will definitely cooperate with the whole process."

Xia Feng directly settled the matter, even if Shen Tianlei wanted to refute it, it was too late, so he could only sit down in a muffled voice.

Zhou Dong's expression was solemn: "This humble minister leads the decree."

"Your Majesty, even if Zhou Dong has a reason to follow, it has been several days since my son's death, and he still hasn't handed over the murderer. I think this is deliberate."

Unwilling, Ma Nan said with resentment on his face.

"Ma Shangshu's words are wrong." Si Jin, the head of the Si family, said unexpectedly, "Zhou Shoubei has already monitored the suspect.

"Once he finds out that the murderer is indeed the princess of the prime minister's family, he will be arrested immediately.

"This is a normal method in the process of tracing the real culprit.

"And the witnesses and physical evidence you listed, after verification, cannot confirm that the person was killed by the princess.

"But you firmly insist that she is the murderer, and you can't provide key evidence, which makes it hard not to suspect Ma Shangshu, is your starting point really targeting the princess?
"Or, do you want to use this matter to pull Prime Minister Qian down?"

After the words fell, the audience was silent.

Everyone was fighting tit for tat in secret, and each of them knew their true purpose in their hearts.

Now being said by this Patriarch, everything has been put on the bright side.

Xia Feng silently looked at the crowd below.

"Patriarch Si's words are not too serious." Shen Tianlei was the first to respond, "Ma Shangshu lost his son, and it is human nature to be anxious to find the real culprit.

"Zhou Shoubei has never handed over the murderer, and Princess Xiangrui is the most suspected person.

"No matter how sensible a person is, he will become irrational in front of a white-haired person sending a black-haired person."

"I want to ask a question." Si Jin looked at Ma Nan, "Ma Shangshu is so eager to arrest someone, does he want Princess Xiangrui to pay for your son's life?"

"Killing for life is justified." Ma Nan made no secret of his purpose.

Si Jin smiled and nodded: "If it's as you wish, Princess Xiangrui will pay for your son Ma Yuanming's life.

"If it turns out that the murderer is someone else, who will pay for the innocent life of the princess?
"When she was born, the emperor personally named her the princess of Xiangrui. From ancient times to the present, she is the only one in our dynasty who has this honor.

"She is still the jewel in the palm of the prime minister's mansion. For this hard-won daughter, everyone knows how long our prime minister has been looking forward to it.

"Her life, what will you Ma Nan pay for?
"Can you afford it?"

A light questioning voice left Ma Nan speechless.

Si Jin paused for a moment, then continued:
"Everyone knows that there is a just and strict garrison in our court, and that is Zhou Shoubei.

"He has never been involved in unjust, false or wrongly decided cases. Now that he is investigating the real culprit, shouldn't Ma Shangshu be more concerned about the progress?"

Everyone present did not expect that the Si Patriarch, who had never spoken much, would speak up to help Prime Minister Qian so suddenly.

"Ma Nan, you speak out loudly in the hall, you identify the murderer without evidence and evidence, and you should be punished according to the law." Xia Feng said at the right time, "I miss you not long after you lost your son, I will spare you once.

"If you do it again, it will be an unforgivable crime!"

This was an ultimatum. Even though Ma Nan was unwilling, he had no choice but to accept the order to thank the emperor: "I thank the emperor for his kindness."

Xia Feng: "Get up."

Zhou Dong glanced at the aggrieved and resentful Ma Nan, turned his head and said respectfully:

"Report to the emperor, regarding the case of Ma Yuanming's murder, I have something to say."

Xia Feng: "Speak!"

Zhou Dong: "After investigation by my officials, I found that the real cause of Ma Yuanming's death was not the dagger on his chest, but this thing."

After he finished speaking, he took out the small bottle containing the bloodworm and put it in the palm of his hand.

Sheng Jian'an walked down and presented the object in front of Xia Feng.

Xia Feng didn't reach out to touch it, he just glanced at it and asked, "What is this?"

According to what Zhou Dong said in the letter sent by the princess last night:

"This is a blood worm, it likes to eat human blood, and it loves all internal organs.

"To develop this thing, it needs to be replaced with fresh human blood every day under constant temperature conditions.

"It can be as short as three years, or as long as five years, and this thing can be cultivated."

Listening to the discussions of the officials, Zhou Dong continued:
"According to the wound on the corpse, although the wound was deep, it was not fatal.

"Yet the man died within a quarter of an hour after the dagger had penetrated.

"This is because the murderer put the blood worms in the wound when he was assassinated.

"Because the wound is close to the heart, the blood worms entered the body and immediately devoured the heart. This process took exactly a quarter of an hour."

Hearing this, Sheng Jian'an hurriedly took the thing away, holding it carefully for fear of falling, fearing that the deadly thing inside would crawl out.

Seeing everyone's frightened appearance, Zhou Dong didn't explain that blood worms need a special thing to enter the body.

What he didn't know was that because of his concealment today, he saved the life of the current emperor in the future.

"There is such a vicious thing!"

Among the hundreds of officials, there are not a few people who are shocked.

Zhou Dong: "I have checked Princess Xiangrui's movements over the years, and neither she nor the people around her have left the imperial city.

"People outside the imperial city have never had contact with it.

"So she's only a suspect until the real killer is brought to justice.

"Since the first case happened in the Guqu Building, I suspect that the murderer once lived here. That's why the Guqu Building was sealed up yesterday."

Xia Feng: "This case is of great importance, you must find out the truth carefully!"

(End of this chapter)