King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 653 You are just a dog in the Xiangwang Mansion
The person who spoke was Li Wenzhao, who had just returned from outside.

Just now he went out to meet Deng An, who conveyed Zhu Jinghong's instructions to him.

The content is related to the current case, and requires Li Wenzhao not to involve the Prince Xiang's Mansion when investigating the case.

The reason is very simple, it is because the process by which Zhu Jinghong discovered the clues was too bizarre to be believed.

On the contrary, people will think that Zhu Jinghong is spying on his own brothers, which will be extremely detrimental to his reputation.

So Zhu Jinghong set the tone for this case and asked Li Wenzhao to make it look like an accidental discovery, which gave the latter a headache at the moment.

He had learned a few minutes ago that Wang Jiyang was involved in the case, so he hurried over to resolve the conflict.

But as soon as he arrived, he noticed Xu Cheng and saw through that he was a eunuch.

Eunuchs are involved in the palace and the royal family...things become even more complicated.

The first thing Li Wenzhao needed to make sure was whether Wang Jiyang's study understood the whole situation and whether he still had a stance after knowing it.

"Deputy Captain Li, the people under your command are truly impressive!"

"It seems that I have to resign from the Pacification Office. After all, there is no place for me in this Southern City Thousand Households Office!"

Wang Jiyang's words were a perfect combination of yin and yang. He was just short of saying that he would file a complaint with the Pacification Office against Li Wenzhao. He was arrogant and disrespectful to his superiors.

It may not sound like a big problem, but the hierarchy in the Jinyiwei is extremely strict, which is enough to ruin Li Wenzhao's future.

At this time, Li Wenzhao was not panicked at all. He walked quickly to Wang Jiyang, bowed and said, "Sir, this case is of great importance, so I strictly ordered them to be careful. I didn't expect them to offend you!"

"This is all my fault for not disciplining my children properly. Please calm down, sir!"

Li Wenzhao was very humble, which made Wang Jiyang feel a little better, but he still couldn't let go of the loss of face.

"It's good that you are doing your job, but the rules of our Jinyiwei must not be trampled upon... People like Ren Fucai who have no respect for their elders must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!"

If Wang Jiyang doesn't deal with these two people, he won't be able to save his face.

Without responding to Wang Jiyang's words, Li Wenzhao approached and said solemnly, "Sir, there are some things I must tell you truthfully. This case is very serious... You'd better not get involved!"

This calmed Wang Jiyang down a bit, so he asked, "What's the case?"

Li Wenzhao replied: "It is better for you not to know, otherwise you will be in trouble!"

"I can only say that this matter has serious implications and is enough to turn the world upside down!"

Li Wenzhao spoke the last sentence very quietly, and only Wang Jiyang could hear it.

After being reminded seven or eight times in a row that this case was of great importance, Wang Jiyang was finally awakened.

When he suppressed his anger and thought about the matter again, he realized that he had been impulsive.

After thinking about it carefully, he found more things wrong, so he turned around and looked at Xu Cheng.

Noticing that Wang Jiyang had regained his composure, Xu Cheng began to avoid his gaze and finally looked directly at the gate tower nearby.

At this time, Li Wenzhao continued, "Sir, now that I have investigated this matter, I find it extremely difficult. You should not wade into this muddy water!"

Wang Jiyang was silent, then he glared at Ren Fucai again, and then said: "Even if there is an important matter, the rules must not be violated!"

"You should take care of your own people. It's not a big deal if you offend me. But if the news gets to the Pacification Bureau, no matter how well you do your job... you won't end up well!"

Hearing this, Li Wenzhao nodded repeatedly, and then scolded the people behind him, "You guys, why don't you come over here and apologize to the captain!"

With Li Wenzhao's words, Ren Fucai and his companions did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. They immediately trotted forward and knelt, kowtowed and apologized to Wang Jiyang.

In this way, Wang Jiyang finally saved some face, and then turned around and left with a cold face.

Xu Cheng hurriedly followed. If he couldn't get today's task done, he would basically be dead.

"Captain Wang, we agreed to help you, but you..."

"This case is serious, so it's not convenient for me to intervene!" Wang Jiyang replied in a deep voice.

He was almost certain that Xu Cheng was not telling him the truth.

"The prince is still waiting for news..." Xu Cheng planned to use Zhu Jingrun for pressure.

Having been fooled before, Wang Jiyang certainly would not be fooled again, so he said bluntly: "Please report back to His Highness and tell him that I am unable to help this time!"

"Please take back the banknotes that my father-in-law brought!"

Even if Xu Cheng didn't take it away, Wang Jiyang would have to force it on him. The more he thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed to him.

Who is Li Wenzhao? He was brought up by the Prince Xiang's Mansion.

He usually keeps a low profile, but today he acted out of character. Does this mean that the case involves two royal palaces?
After guessing this, Wang Jiyang was even more horrified, and cold sweat broke out on his back unconsciously.

What scared him was that he almost stood against the Prince Xiang's Mansion, which was tantamount to seeking his own death.

If I accept the banknotes from Xu Cheng, will Prince Xiang's Mansion think that I am in the same mind as Prince Guangyang's Mansion... The more Wang Jiyang thought about it, the more worried he became.

Therefore, he must return those banknotes, even if Xu Cheng refuses them.

Xu Cheng really didn't want it. He was now extremely anxious and just wanted to leave the Qianhu Office as soon as possible to report the situation.

But Wang Jiyang would never let him go. He dragged him to his lobby and stuffed the banknote into Xu Cheng's hand.

Xu Cheng left in a hurry and then quickly left the Nancheng Qianhu Office. A few minutes later he came to an alley.

Inside the alley, there was a small grey cloth sedan parked, looking particularly inconspicuous.

However, Xu Cheng stopped outside the sedan chair, then knelt down and bowed deeply to the sedan chair.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent and failed to bring Liu San out!"

That’s right, the person in the sedan chair was Prince Guangyang Zhu Jingrun.

If Liu San was caught and said things he shouldn't have said, revealing the murder of three legitimate princes, it would be a disaster for Zhu Jingrun.

Indecisiveness leads to disaster.

Zhu Jingrun was indeed very decisive, so he decided in advance that if Xu Cheng could not bring people with him, he would come to the Nancheng Qianhu Office himself to bring people with him.

There is no need to even take the person away. Just kill Liu San on the spot, and he will land safely without any evidence.

Of course he was going all in, but he knew that if he didn't seize the current opportunity, he would not even have the chance to go all in if he delayed any longer.

"I'll go there myself!" Zhu Jingrun replied.

"Your Highness, can you think of another solution?" Xu Cheng advised.

Because they are on the same boat, Xu Cheng is really concerned about Zhu Jingrun, and his worry at this time is genuine.

"Let's go!" Zhu Jingrun sighed.

Although his tone was calm, he showed a firm attitude, so Xu Cheng stopped persuading him.

Objectively speaking, Zhu Jingrun is indeed a character with careful methods, firm mind and decisiveness.

He felt that he was no worse than anyone else, the only pity was that he didn't crawl out of the queen's belly.

Otherwise, there would be no such thing as the Fourth, Sixth and Thirteenth Brothers... Zhu Jingrun thought so in the sedan chair.

Soon, Zhu Jingrun's sedan chair was carried to the gate of Qianhu Suo, and after Xu Cheng revealed his identity, the sedan chair was carried inside.

Xu Cheng memorized the way and went directly to where Liu San was imprisoned instead of looking for Wang Jiyang.

"Master Qianhu, Prince Guangyang is here in person!"

In front of Li Wenzhao, Ren Fucai was reporting.

Although Li Wenzhao was the deputy commander, as long as Wang Jiyang was not present, his subordinates usually called him the commander, and the same was true for the other deputy commander. Although Li Wenzhao knew that Zhu Jingrun had a backup plan, he did not expect that he would come in person.

To the extent that at this moment, he was already feeling panicked, because Zhu Jingrun came too suddenly.

He was panicking, and Ren Fu, who was leading the group in front, was even more panicking. He said anxiously, "Sir, this gentleman went straight to the cell. I ordered people to stop him, but I'm afraid they can't stop him... You'd better go and take a look!"

Even though Zhu Jingrun has a low presence, he is a prince after all. How can he be stopped by a few small flags?

"Why are you panicking..."

Li Wenzhao scolded, and then said: "Captain Ren, the more critical the moment, the more we must not panic!"

"Don't forget, we have the Thirteenth Master's support. As long as the mission is completed...what can the Guangyang Palace do to us?"

Ren Fucai was very clear that he was working for Prince Xiang's Palace, and Li Wenzhao's words made him feel at ease.

"I'll go and take a look!" Li Wenzhao stood up and said.

So the two of them went out and headed straight towards the cell.

Ren Fucai's guess was correct. The general and small flags under his command were unable to stop Zhu Jingrun and were now thrown into jail by the latter.

However, there were so many cells in the prison that Zhu Jingrun didn't know where Liu San was being held. The people who stopped him couldn't tell him either, so he could only look for him one by one.

"Your Highness, you cannot enter here..."

"Third Master, this place is dirty and messy, you'd better get out!"

"I don't know what strange diseases the prisoners inside have contracted. If this offends you..."

Everyone was still trying to stop him, but no one dared to touch Zhu Jingrun. Xu Cheng and his followers did not receive such treatment, as they were all restricted.

While there was a commotion inside, Li Wenzhao had already arrived outside the prison. He took a deep breath and walked in.

With a smile on his face, Li Wenzhao trotted forward and said, "Third Master, why did you come to such a place in person? If you have anything to say, just tell me..."

Zhu Jingrun turned around and looked at Li Wenzhao who came to him.

"Meet the Third Master!"

Looking at Li Wenzhao kneeling in front of him, Zhu Jingrun said in a deep voice: "Deputy Captain Li, one of my slaves committed a crime and was arrested by you..."

"Why do we need to try this villain again? It would be easier if I could take him back to enforce the family law!"

Hearing this, Li Wenzhao pretended not to know, turned around and looked at Ren Fucai, and asked, "Is this true?"

Ren Fucai replied: "Your Excellency, this person is involved in a serious case and needs to be investigated thoroughly!"

"Third Master, you heard it too. It's not that I won't let him go. It's just that... the case is serious!"

"Major? How major can it be?"

"I'm going to take the person away today. If anything happens, I'll take the responsibility alone. I won't let you suffer!" Zhu Jingrun said in a serious tone.

"Third Master, this is not something that anyone has ever experienced before. The Northern Pacification Division has its own rules. If I release the prisoners at will..."

Li Wenzhao launched into a lengthy speech, speaking official language fluently.

"Captain Li, I must take this person away today!" Zhu Jingrun clenched his fists.

"Third Master...you are putting me in a difficult position!" Li Wenzhao stood up slowly, although Zhu Jingrun did not ask him to get up.

"Li Wenzhao, you, the Jinyiwei, are the royal slaves. Now you even dare to disobey me? Are you planning a rebellion?" Zhu Jingrun began to accuse him.

At this time, he could only use his power to suppress others.

"Third Master, I am only loyal to my master. I will never dare to carry any of the things that my master has ordered me to do!"

Everyone can brag, but the key is to have the confidence to do so. Li Wenzhao's confidence comes from Zhu Jinghong.

"I am the son of His Majesty. Who are you? How dare you talk about being loyal to the Lord in front of me?" Zhu Jingrun sneered.

Walking up to Li Wenzhao, Zhu Jingrun said in an increasingly stern tone, "I know you are Old Thirteen's disciple, but don't think you can rest easy just because you are attached to Prince Xiang's Mansion!"

"You, the deputy captain of the Imperial Guard... are nothing but a dog of Prince Xiang's mansion!"

Zhu Jingrun's remarks could be said to have torn his face off, but he also embarked on a path of no return.

Zhu Jinghong wanted to get himself out of the matter, but after hearing what Zhu Jingrun said, his idea was largely dashed.

At this time, Li Wenzhao was also very anxious, and he raised his voice and said, "Third Master, let's just talk about the matter at hand, why bother dragging Thirteenth Master into this!"

"You can scold me all you want, but the Thirteenth Master has nothing to do with this matter. Why do you drag him into this...what is your intention?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jingrun actually laughed out loud: "Who do you think you are? Can you turn us brothers against each other just by talking?"

"You are just a servant. If you get in my way, I will kill you. I will just put you under house arrest. Do you really want to make things difficult for me?"

They each have their own opinions. One of them insists on following the law and refuses to let the person go, while the other says he will kill you if you don't let him go.

Li Wenzhao stood up straight, with his hands behind his back, and said, "Third Master, even if you kill me, I cannot let the prisoner go!"

The two looked at each other, and at this moment it was a test of wills.

However, Zhu Jingrun was indeed forced into a desperate situation. He suddenly reached out to the captain beside him and pulled out the sword hanging from his waist.

"I will kill you!" Zhu Jingrun roared.

This sudden change was so huge that most people at the scene were stunned.

Li Wenzhao retreated several steps, but Ren Fucai was quick to step forward and grab Zhu Jingrun's arm.

"Your Highness, please calm down..." Ren Fucai yelled.

Compared with Zhu Jingrun, Ren Fucai was much stronger and could easily control him.

"You dare to touch me? You are rebelling..." Zhu Jingrun shouted loudly.

Ren Fucai himself was also confused. He actually fought with a prince himself. What a huge sin this was...

But when I think about it, since I have already started and there is no turning back, I might as well just go all the way.

"Your Highness, this knife is dangerous, please don't hurt you!"

As he was speaking, Ren Fucai snatched the knife back, and Zhu Jingrun swung his hands and hit him, giving him several hard slaps in the face.

"I beat you to death!"

Zhu Jingrun's defense was completely broken, and he rushed forward swinging his fists, even causing the black gauze winged hat to fall off.

The scene was in chaos. All the officers of the general flag and small flag present were hit by Zhu Jingrun's fists, but they also used their bodies to block him in place.

As for the captains, they were not even qualified to be beaten and could only do their jobs according to their instructions.

But in this panic, someone inside shouted, "Confess, confess..."

Just these four words made the scene quiet, so everyone looked over.

"Your Excellency, Liu San confessed and said..."

"What?" Li Wenzhao asked in a deep voice.

"It is said that he was searching for the son of General Zhu Jingting on the orders of His Royal Highness Prince Guangyang..."

In fact, Zhu Jingrun fainted halfway through listening. He was really scared.

When he fell, the scene became chaotic again. Only Li Wenzhao looked calm with a faint smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)