Lanting prelude
Chapter 36 Connectors
Chapter 36 Connectors
Xiao Junmo did not expect that Biancai and Xi Yan, Mr. Donggu, would meet through a coffin shop in the south of the city, and then meet at a cemetery in the western suburbs of Jiangling.
The cemetery is located at the foot of a mountain, with a small river gurgling beside it, surrounded by mountains and rivers, the scenery is good, and the feng shui is also excellent, but standing in such a place and waiting for someone feels a bit eerie and weird after all.
According to the agreement, Xiao Junmo and Bian Cai stood under a lone willow by the river and waited for Xi Yan's arrival.Having nothing to do, Xiao Junmo asked Biancai if he had anything to say about meeting in this kind of place.Biancai smiled, and said that this was the request that Xi Yan insisted on back then, and the former teacher Zhiyong thought it would be fine, so he agreed.
Hearing this, Xiao Junmo felt even more strange: "Is there any reason why he insists on doing this?"
"Of course." Biancai said, "He said that only the dead can keep secrets, so meeting in this kind of place is the safest."
Xiao Junmo laughed dumbfounded, thinking that although this statement is weird, it is not unreasonable. It seems that this Mr. Donggu, Xi Yan, must be a different person.
When the sun was high, a slender figure walked towards them along the river bank.Biancai said: "Here we come." Xiao Junmo set up the awning with his hands and looked, the visitor was over 50 years old, wearing black clothes and black trousers, and his skin was extremely dark, if it was night, he might not be able to recognize him when he walked up to him.As Xi Yan approached step by step, Xiao Junmo slowly saw his appearance clearly, and suddenly felt a sense of shuddering—only his cheeks and eye sockets were sunken, his forehead and cheekbones were protruding, and his chin was as sharp as an awl. The body is also so thin that it seems that only a skeleton is left.There are people in the world who are so ugly, Xiao Junmo's eyes were opened.
Such a person must be often used by neighbors to scare mischievous children.Xiao Junmo couldn't help thinking.
Not only is Xi Yan ugly, but he also seems to be quite arrogant by nature. When he met Biancai, he only made a slight bow and said "I have seen Zuoshi", and then put his hands behind his back, as if condescending.
"Donggu, I haven't seen you for more than twenty years, is everything at home okay?" Biancai asked with a smile.
"It's okay." After Xi Yan said these two words, he closed his mouth, apparently not planning to chat with Biancai.
The debater smiled helplessly, and then said bluntly: "Donggu, you must know the purpose of the poor monk's visit to Jiangling this time, so don't gossip, did you bring anything?"
"Bring it." Xi Yan still said coldly, "I just don't know what the left envoy wants to do when he takes back the cup?"
When Xiao Junmo heard the word "Fang Shang", he guessed that the shape of this cup must be square, just like the round cup in Xuan Guan's hand is round, but he didn't know what shape the cup in Xie Ji's hand was.
"To be honest with Donggu, the poor monk retrieved this object in order to fulfill the last teacher's death..."
"The last time this subordinate received an order from the leader was Wude nine years ago." Xi Yan interrupted the debate, "Now the envoy Zuo suddenly said that there is a death order from the leader. I wonder what evidence it has?"
Biancai didn't expect him to say this, and was startled for a moment: "When the leader handed over the cup to you, he gave an order. In the future, no matter whether the leader himself or the poor monk comes, you must return it unconditionally. Why? What proof do you need?"
"The evidence mentioned by the subordinate refers to the will of the leader that the Zuo Envoy said. Please listen to the Zuo Envoy clearly." Xi Yan's tone was very arrogant. , what is the will of the lord?"
Rao has practiced eloquence for many years, so at this time he couldn't help being a little angry, but he still held back and said: "The purpose of this alliance is 'if a country has the way, it will be hidden, and if the country has no way, it will be revealed'. The common people live and work in peace and contentment, that’s why the leader of the alliance issued a sleep order to all the sub-rudders in the ninth year of Wude, and the leader of the alliance told the poor monk before his death that if the Tang Dynasty is peaceful from now on, he will choose an opportunity to disband the Tianxing League..."
"What did you say?" Xi Yan was shocked, "Disband the Tianxing League?!"
"Yes, this is exactly the lord's will."
Xi Yan sneered: "The world of Li Tang seems to be at peace now, but who knows who will be the emperor once Li Shimin dies? If he is a tyrant or a fool, wouldn't the world be in chaos again? It is not stupid to disband the alliance at this time move?"
Xiao Junmo never expected that this Xi Yan would call Jinshang by his name directly. Fortunately, this is in a cemetery, and there are only dead people around him, otherwise, if someone listens to it, it would be a crime of treason!It seems that this person doesn't have a good opinion of Jinshang, and he doesn't even have respect for the Tang court, so he strongly opposes the dissolution of the Tianxing League.
Hearing that Xi Yan had spoken rudely and called the alliance leader's death a "stupid act", Biancai's expression darkened immediately: "Donggu, are you still a member of the Tianxing League when you say such words? I didn’t come here to discuss with you, this is the lord’s will, and you must carry it out!”
"The left envoy doesn't need to use his position to pressure me. I, Xi Yan, have always been loyal to the alliance, but I am never foolishly loyal. If the leader's order is wrong, please forgive me for being difficult to obey."
"You!" Biancai turned pale with anger, unable to speak.
"Mr. Donggu," Xiao Junmo knew that he could no longer keep silent, so he said with a faint smile, "I appreciate your honesty, but what you said just now, I think it is worth discussing."
"Who are you? Is it your turn to speak here?" Xi Yan raised his eyebrows and gave him a sideways look.
Just as Biancai was about to introduce, Xiao Junmo spoke first: "My subordinate Wuya, the purpose of escorting the left envoy to Jiangling this time is to carry out the leader's last order. Therefore, not only is it my turn to speak here, but Mr. Zun, I can also obey the order of the left envoy and implement this alliance law."
When Xi Yan heard this, he knew that the other party was not a good opponent, so he looked at him meaningfully, and then smiled coldly: "You are that Xuanjia guard general Xiao Junmo, right? How old are you, and you dare to say that you are Wu Ya?" ?”
Xiao Junmo's portrait has already been spread all over the world with the documents captured by the sea. Although he has changed his face at the moment, he can still be recognized if he looks closely. In addition, he is now with Biancai, so it is not difficult for anyone to guess his identity.
After hearing Xi Yan's words, Xiao Junmo laughed: "Mr. Donggu's words are wrong! Qin Dynasty Ganluo, at the age of 12, went to Zhao as an envoy, and the official worshiped Shangqing, who was the same prime minister; General, defeated the Xiongnu at the age of 17, and became the chief minister. Although Xiao dare not compare himself to the heroes of ancient times, he is more than enough to be the helmsman of Wuya, so I wonder if Mr. Donggu has any doubts?"
Xiao Junmo has read countless people, and knows that to deal with such an arrogant and wild person, you have to be more arrogant than him, so that you can calm him down.Sure enough, when Xi Yan heard the words, his attitude softened a little, and he said, "Since that's the case, that's my disrespect. I just don't know what Mr. Wuya wants to discuss with me?"
"You said just now that if the leader's order is wrong, you will not obey it. Xiao can't agree with that." Xiao Junmo said, "The state has state laws, and the family has family rules. If everyone in the alliance is like you, then What kind of organization do you want to form? I’m afraid you don’t have to wait until it’s disbanded, so you should break up first? Since you claim to be loyal to the alliance, you must first not break the rules of the alliance, otherwise, where does your so-called loyalty come from?”
Xi Yan was at a loss for words, thought for a while and said, "I was the one who spoke abruptly, and I didn't think carefully. Please forgive me." "However, the Zuoshi said that he wanted to disband the organization, but I still can't agree."
"If the envoy Zuo wants you to agree to something, then you might as well be the leader." Xiao Junmo sneered.
"That's not what I mean..." Xi Yan was embarrassed, "I can't just watch our centuries-old organization be destroyed in one go."
"Then do you think the organization can be preserved if you don't hand over Fang Shang to Zuo Shi?" Xiao Junmo looked directly at him, "If one day Mingzang finds you and asks you to hand over things to him, will you hand it over? If you hand it in, you and the organization will become a knife in his hand, and eventually harm others and yourself; How to protect the organization? How to protect yourself and the lives of all the brothers at the helm?"
Xi Yan was shaken all over, stayed where he was, unable to speak, and said after a while: "If there is such a day, Xi would rather smash the jade than be whole."
"What a good one would rather break the jade than make it whole!" Xiao Jun smiled silently, "Xiao admires Mr. Donggu's courage. However, you said just now that you are not foolish and loyal, but now why are you showing the courage of a common man? Everything is forewarned, and if you do not forewarn, you will not succeed." Waste. The purpose of the Zuo envoy to take back the three cups is to prevent Mingzang from using the organization, thereby saving the lives of thousands of brothers and their families in the League; but you keep saying that you don’t want to see the organization destroyed, but you can only wait for Mingzang to come to your door. Fight him for a piece of jade. Xiao just wants to ask, is it Zuoshi who is stupid, or Mr. Donggu?"
Xi Yan was speechless, but still stubbornly said: "Of course you are right, but... But I still can't accept the self-destructive organization."
Debate is dumbfounding.
Xiao Junmo didn't expect that this guy would still be so stubborn after clearly putting the pros and cons in front of his eyes.
"Zuo Shi, Xiao Lang, and Xi understand your thoughts, but you really don't agree with them, so please forgive me for being difficult. Take care, Xi, and leave." After Xi Yan finished speaking, without waiting for the two to respond, he bowed his head He clasped his hands and turned to leave.
"Donggu!" Biancai blushed with anger, and wanted to catch up, but Xiao Junmo grabbed him: "Master, if things are slow, things will be smooth. With Donggu's temperament, it may be difficult to figure it out for a while, so let him Just a little time."
"But do we still have time?" Biancai has always been calm and rarely gets angry, this time he really can't hold back, "The whereabouts of Yuan's cup is unknown, Fang's cup refuses to be returned, and we are in danger again, if this continues , how should things be cleaned up?"
"Master, don't worry, there will always be a way." Xiao Junmo comforted him, but in fact, there was nothing he could do.
"Xiao Lang, do you think there is something wrong with Donggu's push and push?" Biancai asked suspiciously, "Could it be him who did what happened to Dajue Temple?"
Xiao Junmo looked at the back of Xi Yan, unable to answer yes or no simply.He just felt that the water in Jiangling was much deeper than he originally imagined...
The meeting point between debaters and Mr. Huibo, Xie Ji, was in a magnificent restaurant in the east of Jiangling City.
The name of the restaurant is Fulitang, which is owned by Xie Ji himself.
He opened the most luxurious and spacious private room to receive Biancai and Xiao Junmo. In addition to delicious food and wine, he even prepared a group of beauties to accompany the wine.This battle was in stark contrast to the meeting with Xi Yan in the cemetery in the morning.Xiao Junmo couldn't help but find it funny in his heart while feeling this kind of situation of ice and fire.
When Biancai saw the beautiful women in the room, he immediately frowned, and repeatedly signaled Xie Ji to let them back down.
Xie Ji had a big belly and a greasy face. There seemed to be a smile on his face at any time. Seeing that Biancai was so embarrassed, he couldn't help laughing and said, "The Zuo envoy is no longer a monk. Why stick to those rules and regulations? Let them drink with you first. When we're done, let's talk business."
"The poor monk appreciates your kindness." Biancai said coldly, "Although the poor monk doesn't live in the monastery, he has always demanded himself as a monk. He has abstained from drinking and sex for many years. I hope Hui Bo can understand."
"Understood." Xie Ji hurriedly hid his embarrassment with a laugh, "The Zuo envoy is so clean and self-possessed, I really admire the subordinates!" After speaking, he shook his hand and drove out a room full of beauties.
The private room fell silent for a moment, and the debater didn't want to waste any more time, so he cut to the chase and said, "Hui Bo, I think you know that the poor monk came here for one thing only, which is the cup in your hand."
It turns out that the one in Xie Ji's hand is called "Jiao Shang", and it seems that the shape is completely different from the previous two.Xiao Junmo thought so, secretly observing Xie Ji's reaction.
"Oh, Zuo Envoy, you should have come a long time ago!" Xie Ji looked relieved, "To tell you the truth, Zuo Envoy, for so many years, my subordinates have been holding this thing in their hands. I look forward to the lord and you hurrying to take it back. This time it’s all right, and the subordinates can finally sleep peacefully!"
Hearing the words, the eloquent heart was finally relieved.Among the three cups, finally one cup can be retrieved smoothly.
Xiao Junmo looked at Xie Ji thoughtfully, and suddenly smiled and said: "Mr. Huibo, back then the leader gave you the horn cup because he trusted you, but what you said sounds like you are complaining? "
"I don't know if this is..." Xie Ji looked him up.
"There is no limit below."
"Oh, it turned out to be Mr. Wu Ya, sorry for your disrespect!" Xie Ji smiled all over his face, and cupped his hands again and again, "I didn't expect Mr. Wu Ya to be so young, he really is a hero from ancient times!"
"Mr. Echo, you're being polite. I'm a little curious. The leader just asked you to keep an item. Why does it seem like he's harming you?"
"No, no, that's not what I mean." Xie Ji smiled, "The main thing is that this item is too important, and the restart organization depends on it, so I dare not take it lightly! Over the years, I have been trembling, always wondering where to put this item It's not safe, I'm worried all day long, I'm almost sick from fright..."
Biancai was slightly surprised, as if thinking of something, secretly glanced at Xiao Junmo.Xiao Junmo remained calm, and said with a faint smile: "So, Mr. Hui Bo has really worked hard, then you should hurry up and hand over the things to Zuo Shi, so that you can sit back and relax tonight."
"Of course, of course, why don't I think so, but..." Xie Ji hesitated to speak.
"But what?" Biancai was startled, and his relaxed mood immediately became tense again.Xiao Junmo seemed to have expected it, and just looked at Xie Ji quietly.
"This thing is so important, I dare not keep it by my side."
"Then where do you put it?" Biancai was very anxious.
"Don't be afraid to make jokes. In order to ensure the safety of the coffin, my father passed away three years ago, so I put it...in my father's coffin."
"What did you say?!" Biancai stood up and looked at Xie Ji in disbelief.
Xiao Junmo suddenly smiled wryly in his heart: Another cemetery!Why are these three cups always entangled with the dead and the cemetery? !
"Don't worry, envoy Zuo. In a few days, my subordinates will definitely send someone to dig it out." "No, you have to give it to me tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Xie Ji looked embarrassed, "Tomorrow, no... no!"
"Why not?"
"Today is the tenth day of June..." Xie Ji pinched his fingers and muttered, "In the past few days, breaking ground, breaking ground, funerals, and burials are all taboos. How dare my subordinates move my father's grave? Let me figure it out …By the way, on the seventeenth day, you can sacrifice, destroy the wall, break ground, or break the ground, just wait for me for a few days, on June [-]th, the subordinates promise to hand over the things to you!"
Biancai sat back dejectedly, with a helpless expression on his face.
"Zuo Shi, since the echo is difficult, let's wait, anyway, it will only take six or seven days, so we can't miss it." Xiao Junmo said.
"Yes, yes, what Wu Ya said is true!" Xie Ji was overjoyed, "I've been waiting for more than 20 years, and it's not bad for these few days, isn't it?"
Coming out of Fulitang Restaurant, as soon as he boarded the hired carriage, Biancai couldn't wait to ask Xiao Junmo: "Did you deliberately trick him just now?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "Yes."
"How did you see the problem?" Bian Cai was very curious.
"As soon as you mentioned the matter to him, his expressions and words seemed exaggerated, as if he was trying to cover up something, so I tried to get him to talk as much as possible. As the saying goes, too much talk will lead to loss, and he said, "This object It’s too important to restart the organization, and it really exposed the tail. In my estimation, when the leader handed over the cup to him, he would never tell him the purpose of this thing, right?”
"Of course not. Whether it is Xie Ji, Xi Yan or Xuan Guan, although they all know that the thing in their hands is very important, no one knows its specific purpose."
"So, Xie Jineng said the words 'restart the organization', obviously someone told him." Xiao Junmo said, "Master, Mingzang must know about the purpose of the three cups, right?"
Bian Cai was surprised: "You mean, Xie Ji and Ming Zang are in the same group?"
"That's the only reasonable explanation, unless there are other people with knowledge of the matter."
Biancai said without hesitation: "No, no one else knows about it except my predecessor, Ming Zang and me."
"It can be seen from this that Xie Ji is Mingzang's person. He deliberately delayed for seven days, just to inform Mingzang to come to Jiangling."
"But there are only seven days. He has to send the news and wait for Mingzang to come over. Is there enough time?"
"Jiangling is more than 400 miles away from Chang'an. If you have well-trained pigeons, you can fly there in two days at most. In the remaining five days, Mingzang will come here without stopping, which is more than enough."
Biancai smiled wryly: "From this point of view, the person who threatened Xuanguan must be this Xie Ji, and those fake monks who ambush in Dajue Temple last night are also his people."
This conclusion is obvious, but for some reason, Xiao Junmo dare not draw this conclusion lightly.He always vaguely felt that what happened in Dajue Temple last night seemed not so simple.Certain unusual details floated before his eyes like a spider's thread in the darkness, but he could not grasp them.
Xiao Junmo closed his eyes.
The scenes that happened in Dajue Temple last night began to flash slowly in his mind, or to be precise, the scenes were played back and reproduced in his mind.
Since childhood, Xiao Junmo has had a special ability - as long as the scenes he has witnessed, they will be engraved in his mind like a portrait. Once needed, he can call up those pictures one by one, and then reproduce them repeatedly, looking for a certain Some crucial but missed details, and finally splicing the fragmented details one by one to obtain the truth hidden behind things.Xiao Junmo didn't stay in Xuanjiawei for a long time, and the reason why he was able to solve major cases repeatedly was due to this ability to a certain extent.
At this moment, the bumping and shaking of the carriage did not affect Xiao Junmo at all.In the high concentration like meditation, he returned to the Dajue Temple last night, walking through, staying, observing, and thinking in the frozen scenes...
After quickly passing through many insignificant scenes, Xiao Junmo entered the Palace of Heavenly Kings, and the picture was frozen at the moment when Huiyuan stabbed Xuanguan with a dagger: the sharp dagger accurately pierced Xuanguan's left chest, which is the heart.This is consistent with Xiao Junmo's initial observation, and there seems to be no doubt about it.
Xiao Junmo stretched out his right index finger, swiped it in front of his eyes, and instantly entered the second freeze-frame picture: Xuan Guan with a pale face lying powerlessly in his arms, blood gurgling from the wound on his left chest.Xiao Junmo stared at the wound, frowning slightly, thoughtful.
Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger again, and entered the third freeze frame: Xuan Guan was sitting cross-legged on the Zen bed in the abbot's room, his face was serene, and he didn't look like he was assassinated at all. Sitting peacefully.Xiao Junmo stood in front of the Zen bed and watched Xuan Guan.Suddenly, he bent down and put his ear on Xuan Guan's left chest, and after a while, he moved his ear to the right chest.In an instant, a cloud of suspicion floated in his eyes...
In the fourth freeze frame, the four of them have returned to the inn and are discussing in the debate room.Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger, the screen fast-forwarded, and then stopped at a certain place, Hua Linger's voice sounded: "Could it be that he wants to die on purpose for you to see? Is he sick?!" followed by Xiao Junmo's voice: "In In my opinion, he didn't want to die on purpose for us to see, but for those who threatened him."
Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger again, the screen continued to fast-forward, and then Xiao Junmo said to the debater: "When you and the leader of the Zhiyong League were stationed in Xi Dajue Temple, everyone in the Tianxing League must know..."
Xiao Junmo showed panic on his face, and quickly swiped his index finger in the opposite direction, and the screen quickly returned to the back mountain of Jiayugou, Xiao Junmo said to the debater: "The mage took the road of Lantian and Wuguan, and he must be planning to go to Jingchu. If my predictions are correct, the mage probably wants to go to Jiangling, Jingzhou, right?"
……
In the carriage, Xiao Junmo suddenly opened his eyes with a look of horror.
Bian Cai was taken aback, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"The person who threatened Xuanguan is probably not Xie Ji." Xiao Junmo's voice was as cold as ice.
"Who else could it be if it wasn't him? Could it be Xi Yan?" Biancai looked at Xiao Junmo's expression, and felt goosebumps on his body.
Xiao Junmo shook his head.
"Who is that?" Biancai was completely confused.
Xiao Junmo was silent for a moment, and then three words popped out between his teeth:
"Xuanjiawei."
Pei Tinglong sat in the main hall of the Jingzhou mansion, and after listening to Xue An's report, a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Today, Xiao Junmo and Biancai's every move in Jiangling City did not escape his control.According to Xue An's report, in the morning, Xiao Junmo and Biancai went to the cemetery in the west of the city to have a meeting with a coffin shop owner named Xiyan; in the afternoon, the two went to Fulitang Restaurant in the east of the city to meet the owner Xie Ji.In addition to the previously excavated Dajue Temple Xuanguan, so far, Pei Tinglong has successfully uncovered the three branches of the Tianxing League in Jiangling.
Next, Pei Tinglong is really looking forward to how many sub-helms Xiao Junmo and Biancai will meet.He had to admire that the emperor's long-term plan to catch big fish was really wise, which was much more rewarding than directly arresting Xiao Junmo and Biancai.Right now, the only fly in the ointment is that he sent dozens of men with good water skills into the release pool and the secret path to search for that thing, but they still found nothing.Pei Tinglong had no choice but to seal up the Dajue Temple, and arrested all the monks in the temple, including the Prison Yuan, to Jingzhou Mansion, hoping to dig out some valuable clues through torture.
"Have those monks recruited?" Pei Tinglong asked.
"Back to the general, I don't know whether these guys really don't know or are too capable. The subordinates have exhausted their methods, but they still insist that they don't know anything."
Pei Tinglong pondered for a while: "Continue the trial. Remember, I only have one request: I would rather persecute than persecute."
"Yes." Xue An took the order and hurriedly withdrew.
At this time, Huan Dieyi happened to pass by Xue An, walked in with a displeased face, and said loudly: "General Pei, since you entered Jiangling City, you have left your subordinates and Team Luo aside. What exactly does that mean?"
Pei Tinglong smiled, and said warmly: "Dieyi, you and Luo Biao have worked hard on this journey, I just want you to rest for two more days, there is no other meaning."
"Thank you General for your kindness! But we've had enough rest, so it's time to switch with the brothers on the front line, right?"
"No hurry, no hurry, we've only been in Jiangling for a few days?" Pei Tinglong still smiled, "If you feel bored, why don't I accompany you for a walk outside? This Jiangling is a good place. I heard that it was the Chu Palace back then ..."
"General, my subordinates are here to carry out missions, not to visit the mountains and rivers." Huan Dieyi interrupted him coldly, "Let's ask the general to assign missions."
"Okay, I appreciate your spirit of not giving up to a man!" Pei Tinglong laughed, "Of course there will be missions, but you have to let me arrange them. How about this, you go down first, and I will let Xue Ann let you know, okay?"
"General, please forgive me for saying something offensive. If you insist on pushing out your subordinates and Luo Duizheng, then your subordinates have no choice but to directly report the situation to the Holy Majesty and the General." Huan Dieyi was not polite. road.
"It's too serious, you are all veterans of Xuanjiawei, how could I squeeze you out? You completely misunderstood my kindness..."
"Whether there is a misunderstanding depends on what the general does. This subordinate will go down now and wait for the general's order." After Huan Dieyi finished speaking, he cupped his hands and strode out.
Pei Tinglong squinted at her back, bursts of anger burst into his heart, but he couldn't express it.
He has never been afraid of anyone in his life, but he has nothing to do with this woman.First of all, it is because she is the niece of the immediate boss Li Shiji, but the most important thing is because I like her, for no reason.
Sometimes Pei Tinglong scolds himself for being worthless, why lose the dignity that his boss should have repeatedly for a woman?But every time he saw her, his heart immediately softened again.
Huan Dieyi, you are my fault!
Taiji Palace, Liangyi Hall.
Li Shimin sat on the imperial couch with a gloomy expression on his face.Changsun Wuji and Liu Ji stood on both sides of the imperial couch, and below stood Li Tai, Du Chuke, and Du He.Du He's neck was bandaged with gauze, and the shape was a little funny. Although the many wounds on Du Chuke's body were also bandaged, they were still in pain at this moment.
Li Shimin was both shocked and angry by the assassination case that happened yesterday in the Anxiang Building of Chongrenfang, because the nature was so bad - a dignified prince, a prince consort, and a third-rank minister were unexpectedly on the edge of the imperial city. Assassinated!If the case cannot be solved as soon as possible and the real culprit behind the scenes is caught, what will be the prestige of the court and the face of the emperor? !
Therefore, Li Shimin paid special attention to this case. Today, he specially summoned the three parties to the palace and personally questioned the whole incident.At this moment, the three of them had finished reporting, Li Shimin frowned and pondered for a while, then said to Changsun Wuji: "How did the assassin's interrogation go?"
"Return to Your Majesty, King Wu and General Li are currently on trial. As soon as there is news, they will report to the palace immediately."
After yesterday's incident, Li Shimin ordered Li Ke to take the assassin who was caught on the scene to Xuanjiawei, where he will be interrogated with Li Shiji.So far, the interrogation has been going on for a day and a night, but the assassin still hasn't revealed the person behind the scenes.
"Qingque," Li Shimin stared at Li Tai, "Didn't you promise me not to set foot in the romantic place again, why did you forget this time?"
"Go back to Father," Li Tai said with aggrieved expression, "The Anxiang Tower that I went to yesterday is not a romantic place, it's just an ordinary wine shop, I hope Father will check it out."
Li Shimin consulted Changsun Wuji with his eyes, and the other party nodded secretly.The emperor has been in power for a long time, and he has rarely been out of the palace for many years, so he naturally doesn't know much about these situations among the people.After getting an affirmative answer, he didn't say anything, and turned to Du He and said: "Du He, as far as I know, you don't bring bodyguards with you when you usually go out, why did you bring four bodyguards with you when you went to the Qingque Banquet yesterday?" What about it? And it is said that the skills are not weak, did you notice something beforehand?"
"Returning to Your Majesty, this... this is purely a coincidence. Those four martial artists were recently hired by the minister. They were mainly used to practice boxing and kicking with the minister in their spare time. They were not intended to be bodyguards. Yesterday, the minister was on a whim. , took them out together, and didn't realize anything beforehand, it was just a coincidence that they caught up."
Du He knew in his heart that the real identities of Xie Chong and the others must not arouse the emperor's suspicion, let alone be found out, otherwise he would suffer disaster, even the crown prince would be ruined, so now he can only cover up lightly.
"Coincidentally?" Li Shimin looked suspiciously, "Is there really such a coincidence?"
Du He's heart trembled, and he hurriedly said: "Yes, Your Majesty, this minister is also very grateful for this, maybe... maybe it is my father's spirit in heaven that has protected this minister from the catastrophe. Your Majesty does not know, but recently my minister often Missing my father, always thinking of my father's untimely death, and not being able to witness the current peaceful and prosperous world, I will feel sad and heartbroken, and even don't think about eating and drinking all day long." As he spoke, his voice choked up. "A few days ago, Wei Chen was still kneeling in front of my father's spiritual throne, weeping and telling his old man all kinds of missing feelings. Maybe it was because of this little filial piety of Wei Chen that touched my father's spirit in heaven, so..."
Li Shimin waved his hand, interrupting Du He's chatter.
Of course he knew who this son-in-law was, and the filial piety shown in public was really too superficial and cheap.At the beginning, if it weren't for the fact that his father Du Ruhui was a hero and made great contributions to the court, he would never have betrothed his daughter Princess Chengyang to Du He.Hearing Du He's rambling at this moment, although Li Shimin was a little disgusted, his heart was touched after all, and suddenly recalled the relationship between the monarch and his ministers with Du Ruhui back then, and his eyes became moist without realizing it.
Du He secretly observed the emperor's expression, knowing that his sensationalism had achieved the purpose of diverting his attention, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, Li Shimin didn't pursue the matter of his bodyguard any more, and instead asked Du Chuke: "Chuke, according to what you just said, the assassin's primary target is Du He, followed by you and King Wei. Is there such a possibility?" ——Is the mastermind of this matter someone who has an old grudge against your Du family? Or, is it someone who offended when Ruhui was alive?"
Du Chuke pretended to think about it for a while, and said: "Returning to Your Majesty, I think this possibility is very small, because my brother always puts benevolence and righteousness first in dealing with others, and he is honest, selfless, fair and wise when he is an official, and this is something His Majesty is familiar with. Extra words. Taking a step back, even if my brother offended someone in the officialdom, it was definitely not a personal enmity, not to mention that my brother has been dead for many years. If anyone really harbored resentment, it should have been forgotten long ago. What kind of deep hatred can make him How about today?"
Li Shimin pondered for a while, nodded and said: "Ru Hui has been open and upright all his life, and I also believe that he has never had any enemies with others, but... How about you, Chu Ke?"
Du Chuke smiled slightly: "The cultivation level of my minister is certainly not as far as that of my brother, but when it comes to enmity with others, it seems that he is not too good at it. Besides, if the enemy of the minister instigates, the assassin from yesterday should attack the minister first, but This is not the case, so I think that the mastermind behind the scenes must be someone who has a grudge against Du He."
Du He managed to draw the emperor's attention away, but he didn't want to be surrounded by Du Chuke again, cursing secretly in his heart, but he didn't dare to show the slightest thing on his face.
"Well, it makes sense." Li Shimin turned his gaze to Du He again, "Tell me, I know you have a lot of friends, have you offended anyone in the government and the opposition recently?"
"No, Your Majesty, I have always kept myself safe, have I ever offended anyone?"
"Du He, think about it carefully." Du Chuke looked at him with a smile, "As the saying goes, misfortune comes from your mouth. Could it be that you said something unintentionally and offended some dignitary?"
Du He was taken aback for a moment, although he felt that this sounded uncomfortable, but he had to admit that this possibility really existed, and immediately frowned and began to think about it.
Li Tai raised his eyes, and secretly exchanged a look with Liu Jie.
The topic has been paved here, that is, everything is ready, and only Li Ke's "east wind" is owed.Li Tai thought proudly that as long as Li Ke presented the assassin's confession, the emperor himself would connect everything together, and then draw the obvious conclusion.
At this moment, the eunuch outside the hall approached in small steps, bowed and said, "I would like to report to Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King Wu and General Li Shiji are here to see you."
"Quick pass!" Li Shimin was very excited, it seems that the assassin must have recruited.
Soon, Li Ke and Li Shiji hurried to the hall.After saluting, Li Ke took out a memorial from his sleeve, put his hands on the top of his head, and said loudly: "Father, Li Feng, the murderer in the Anxianglou case, has confessed, and the confession is recorded here. Yulan!"
Finally waited until this moment!
A burst of ecstasy flashed through Li Tai's heart.
Zhao Dequan who was standing by the imperial couch hurried over, took the memorial and presented it to Li Shimin.Li Shimin opened it, and after scanning a few lines, his whole body froze, and his face suddenly turned ashen.
The eldest grandson Wuji who was at the side was startled, and hurriedly approached the emperor, and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what happened...?"
Li Shimin paid no attention to it, the muscles on his face twitched slightly, and he passed the memorial after a while, but unexpectedly, his hand trembled and fell to the ground.Zhao Dequan had never seen the emperor like this, he was shocked and worried, he hurriedly picked up the memorial, and handed it to Zhangsun Wuji.
Changsun Wuji took it over and looked at it, his expression changed instantly, and then he looked at Li Ke in astonishment: "His Royal Highness, is this really the assassin's confession?"
"Yes, Mr. Grandson, it's absolutely true. The king didn't believe it at first, but after repeated interrogation, the culprit didn't change his words, so the king had no choice but to report the truth."
Changsun Wuji turned his gaze to Li Shiji again, who nodded slightly, confirming Li Ke's words.Changsun Wuji sighed and had no choice but to look back at the emperor.
Li Shimin forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, stared at Du He and said, "Du He, think about it for yourself, have you done anything or said something recently that involved...involved in the East Palace?"
As soon as these words came out, Li Tai, Du Chuke, Du He, Liu Ji, and Zhao De all showed astonishment.Of course, only the expressions of Du He and Zhao Dequan are true.
Du He was dumbfounded, unable to react at all.
His mind is all messed up now.From the tone of the emperor, the mastermind of the assassin's confession was obviously Donggong, but how could this be possible?Even if the crown prince doesn't want to use him anymore, he wouldn't kill him to silence him, right?Besides, if the crown prince really wanted to do this, why would he send Xie Chong and other experts to protect him?
The more Du He thought about it, the more confused he became, and he froze there for a while, unable to speak.
At this time, Liu Jie said without losing the opportunity: "I want to report to Your Majesty, I have a word, I don't know if I should say it or not."
"speak."
"Yes. I don't know if Your Majesty still remembers that I made a memorial a few days ago, and what I said in it involved the East Palace. And I also reported the truth to Your Majesty in the memorial. The source of my news is Du charge."
Li Shimin suddenly remembered that Liu Jie had indeed made a statement a few days ago, saying that the specifications and interiors of some of the cars in Donggong Palace were suspected of exceeding the standard in many details.Li Shimin approved it at that time, ordered Donggong to rectify immediately, and issued an edict to criticize and educate the prince.But he forgot about it once the matter was over, and he didn't take it to heart, because the transgression of the East Palace did not exceed the emperor's system, it was just too extravagant, not a big deal.However, at this moment, this incident clearly constituted the prince's motive to take revenge on Du He and pay for murder.
When Du He heard Liu Ji's words, his face was even more confused.In order to gain Li Tai's trust, he had indeed leaked some unfavorable news to the East Palace under the order of the crown prince, but how could such insignificant information have something to do with the assassination case?
"Liu Ji, according to what you mean, Donggong knew the content of your memorial, so he held a grudge against Du He, so he brazenly paid for murder?" Li Shimin asked with squinting eyes.
"Return to Your Majesty, I dare not make such a judgment." Liu Ji said calmly, "I am just stating the facts. As for how the facts are related to this case, it is not within the scope of my duties, so I dare not comment."
"I'll ask you again, did Du He personally tell you about the Donggong car driving over the limit?"
"It's not."
"Then who did you listen to?"
"This..." Liu Ji intentionally showed hesitation.
"Why," Li Shimin looked at him with some sarcasm, "Just now you said it clearly and logically, but now there is something unspeakable?"
Before Liu Ji could speak, Li Tai took a step forward and rushed to say: "I want to report to my father, this matter was told to Liu Shizhong after hearing Du He's words."
Liu Ji and Li Tai's performance was actually discussed in advance, and it was nothing more than for Li Shimin to watch.Because Li Tai knows very well that if a lie is to be packaged as the truth, there must be some truth in it, especially some key details, the more truthful the better.Just like now, Li Tai deliberately showed an appearance of speaking ill of the prince in private, just to make this situation more real-to put it bluntly, I have already admitted things that are not good for me, and you still doubt me. words?
Li Shimin's face darkened when he heard this: "Qingque, when did you learn the gossip and gossip skills of a gossiping woman?"
"I'm wronged, Father!" Li Tai said aggrievedly, "I said this to Liu Shizhong, just to let Father, you understand the situation, so that you can correct your inappropriate behavior in time. The starting point of this minister is to protect the court on the one hand. Tsunaki, on the other hand, is also to urge the eldest brother to make him a more virtuous crown prince!"
Li Shimin snorted coldly in his heart, knowing that Li Tai's words were all insincere and high-sounding big words, but these words were all true on the scene, making it hard to refute.
"Qing Que, tell me, just because Du He told you about the car overrunning in the East Palace, will your elder brother instruct Li Feng and others to take revenge and kill people?"
Li Shimin's question is very tempting. If Li Tai climbs up the pole, he will expose himself.Of course he wasn't that stupid, but said calmly: "Going back to Emperor Father, I think it's impossible."
"What's the reason?"
"Even if the eldest brother hates Du He for this matter, it is not enough to kill someone. Moreover, those assassins yesterday wanted to kill not only Du He, but also Erchen and Du Shangshu. This at least proves that the motive of the mastermind is not only It's as simple as taking revenge on Du He." Li Tai's words were a typical way of playing hard to get, on the surface it seemed to be speaking for the crown prince, but in fact it was to lure Li Shimin's thoughts to rely on the "battle for the heir apparent".
Sure enough, Li Shimin frowned upon hearing this.
Du He used to have a good relationship with the crown prince, but later he became very close to Li Tai. Li Tai leaked the inside story of the East Palace, causing Liu Ji to participate in the performance, and the prince had even more reason to hate Du He.
In addition, from the perspective of seizing the heir, the person the crown prince fears the most now is Li Tai, followed by Shi Du Chuke, the head of Wei Wangfu.This is equivalent to saying that the three people at the banquet in Anxiang Tower yesterday were all the crown prince hated the most. If he had obtained the information in advance, he would send out assassins to get rid of these three people, wouldn't it be logical?
From this point of view, the biggest suspect in the Anxianglou case must be the prince.First of all, he has a sufficient motive for killing; secondly, there is now the assassin's confession.From the looks of it, this seems to be an ironclad case.However, relying on years of experience in conspiracy and political struggles, Li Shimin knows that the more seamless a thing looks on the surface, the more suspected it is that it is artificially designed.Therefore, it is too early to draw any conclusions.
"Dequan."
"The slave is here."
"I passed on my oral order to summon the crown prince to enter the palace immediately and temporarily live in the Baifu Palace. Without my permission, he is not allowed to leave the palace for half a step."
"The slave obeys the order."
What the emperor did was equivalent to putting the prince under house arrest.When everyone present heard this, their expressions were somewhat complicated.House arrest is the prelude to dethrone, and it seems that this time the prince is in danger.Li Tai suppressed the excitement in his heart, as if he saw the gate of the East Palace suddenly opening to him.
At this moment, Du He, who had been blinded for a long time, finally woke up.
Although he has not fully understood the whole truth, the result of the prince's house arrest is obvious.When the crown prince had an accident, the biggest beneficiary was naturally Wei Wang Li Tai.It can be seen from this that the assassination of Anxianglou was entirely possible to be a conspiracy planned by Li Tai, with the purpose of killing Du He and blaming the prince!
However, even though he realized this point, Du He could only be a dumb man eating Coptis chinensis, unable to tell what he was suffering.Because it is absolutely impossible for him to admit to the emperor that he is the secret agent sent by the crown prince to King Wei.
"Ke'er," Li Shimin pondered for a moment, and said to Li Ke, "Bring the criminal into the palace tomorrow, and I will interrogate him personally."
"My son obeys the order."
Regardless of whether the prince is innocent or not, the only way to find out the truth is to interrogate Li Feng further.
(End of this chapter)
Xiao Junmo did not expect that Biancai and Xi Yan, Mr. Donggu, would meet through a coffin shop in the south of the city, and then meet at a cemetery in the western suburbs of Jiangling.
The cemetery is located at the foot of a mountain, with a small river gurgling beside it, surrounded by mountains and rivers, the scenery is good, and the feng shui is also excellent, but standing in such a place and waiting for someone feels a bit eerie and weird after all.
According to the agreement, Xiao Junmo and Bian Cai stood under a lone willow by the river and waited for Xi Yan's arrival.Having nothing to do, Xiao Junmo asked Biancai if he had anything to say about meeting in this kind of place.Biancai smiled, and said that this was the request that Xi Yan insisted on back then, and the former teacher Zhiyong thought it would be fine, so he agreed.
Hearing this, Xiao Junmo felt even more strange: "Is there any reason why he insists on doing this?"
"Of course." Biancai said, "He said that only the dead can keep secrets, so meeting in this kind of place is the safest."
Xiao Junmo laughed dumbfounded, thinking that although this statement is weird, it is not unreasonable. It seems that this Mr. Donggu, Xi Yan, must be a different person.
When the sun was high, a slender figure walked towards them along the river bank.Biancai said: "Here we come." Xiao Junmo set up the awning with his hands and looked, the visitor was over 50 years old, wearing black clothes and black trousers, and his skin was extremely dark, if it was night, he might not be able to recognize him when he walked up to him.As Xi Yan approached step by step, Xiao Junmo slowly saw his appearance clearly, and suddenly felt a sense of shuddering—only his cheeks and eye sockets were sunken, his forehead and cheekbones were protruding, and his chin was as sharp as an awl. The body is also so thin that it seems that only a skeleton is left.There are people in the world who are so ugly, Xiao Junmo's eyes were opened.
Such a person must be often used by neighbors to scare mischievous children.Xiao Junmo couldn't help thinking.
Not only is Xi Yan ugly, but he also seems to be quite arrogant by nature. When he met Biancai, he only made a slight bow and said "I have seen Zuoshi", and then put his hands behind his back, as if condescending.
"Donggu, I haven't seen you for more than twenty years, is everything at home okay?" Biancai asked with a smile.
"It's okay." After Xi Yan said these two words, he closed his mouth, apparently not planning to chat with Biancai.
The debater smiled helplessly, and then said bluntly: "Donggu, you must know the purpose of the poor monk's visit to Jiangling this time, so don't gossip, did you bring anything?"
"Bring it." Xi Yan still said coldly, "I just don't know what the left envoy wants to do when he takes back the cup?"
When Xiao Junmo heard the word "Fang Shang", he guessed that the shape of this cup must be square, just like the round cup in Xuan Guan's hand is round, but he didn't know what shape the cup in Xie Ji's hand was.
"To be honest with Donggu, the poor monk retrieved this object in order to fulfill the last teacher's death..."
"The last time this subordinate received an order from the leader was Wude nine years ago." Xi Yan interrupted the debate, "Now the envoy Zuo suddenly said that there is a death order from the leader. I wonder what evidence it has?"
Biancai didn't expect him to say this, and was startled for a moment: "When the leader handed over the cup to you, he gave an order. In the future, no matter whether the leader himself or the poor monk comes, you must return it unconditionally. Why? What proof do you need?"
"The evidence mentioned by the subordinate refers to the will of the leader that the Zuo Envoy said. Please listen to the Zuo Envoy clearly." Xi Yan's tone was very arrogant. , what is the will of the lord?"
Rao has practiced eloquence for many years, so at this time he couldn't help being a little angry, but he still held back and said: "The purpose of this alliance is 'if a country has the way, it will be hidden, and if the country has no way, it will be revealed'. The common people live and work in peace and contentment, that’s why the leader of the alliance issued a sleep order to all the sub-rudders in the ninth year of Wude, and the leader of the alliance told the poor monk before his death that if the Tang Dynasty is peaceful from now on, he will choose an opportunity to disband the Tianxing League..."
"What did you say?" Xi Yan was shocked, "Disband the Tianxing League?!"
"Yes, this is exactly the lord's will."
Xi Yan sneered: "The world of Li Tang seems to be at peace now, but who knows who will be the emperor once Li Shimin dies? If he is a tyrant or a fool, wouldn't the world be in chaos again? It is not stupid to disband the alliance at this time move?"
Xiao Junmo never expected that this Xi Yan would call Jinshang by his name directly. Fortunately, this is in a cemetery, and there are only dead people around him, otherwise, if someone listens to it, it would be a crime of treason!It seems that this person doesn't have a good opinion of Jinshang, and he doesn't even have respect for the Tang court, so he strongly opposes the dissolution of the Tianxing League.
Hearing that Xi Yan had spoken rudely and called the alliance leader's death a "stupid act", Biancai's expression darkened immediately: "Donggu, are you still a member of the Tianxing League when you say such words? I didn’t come here to discuss with you, this is the lord’s will, and you must carry it out!”
"The left envoy doesn't need to use his position to pressure me. I, Xi Yan, have always been loyal to the alliance, but I am never foolishly loyal. If the leader's order is wrong, please forgive me for being difficult to obey."
"You!" Biancai turned pale with anger, unable to speak.
"Mr. Donggu," Xiao Junmo knew that he could no longer keep silent, so he said with a faint smile, "I appreciate your honesty, but what you said just now, I think it is worth discussing."
"Who are you? Is it your turn to speak here?" Xi Yan raised his eyebrows and gave him a sideways look.
Just as Biancai was about to introduce, Xiao Junmo spoke first: "My subordinate Wuya, the purpose of escorting the left envoy to Jiangling this time is to carry out the leader's last order. Therefore, not only is it my turn to speak here, but Mr. Zun, I can also obey the order of the left envoy and implement this alliance law."
When Xi Yan heard this, he knew that the other party was not a good opponent, so he looked at him meaningfully, and then smiled coldly: "You are that Xuanjia guard general Xiao Junmo, right? How old are you, and you dare to say that you are Wu Ya?" ?”
Xiao Junmo's portrait has already been spread all over the world with the documents captured by the sea. Although he has changed his face at the moment, he can still be recognized if he looks closely. In addition, he is now with Biancai, so it is not difficult for anyone to guess his identity.
After hearing Xi Yan's words, Xiao Junmo laughed: "Mr. Donggu's words are wrong! Qin Dynasty Ganluo, at the age of 12, went to Zhao as an envoy, and the official worshiped Shangqing, who was the same prime minister; General, defeated the Xiongnu at the age of 17, and became the chief minister. Although Xiao dare not compare himself to the heroes of ancient times, he is more than enough to be the helmsman of Wuya, so I wonder if Mr. Donggu has any doubts?"
Xiao Junmo has read countless people, and knows that to deal with such an arrogant and wild person, you have to be more arrogant than him, so that you can calm him down.Sure enough, when Xi Yan heard the words, his attitude softened a little, and he said, "Since that's the case, that's my disrespect. I just don't know what Mr. Wuya wants to discuss with me?"
"You said just now that if the leader's order is wrong, you will not obey it. Xiao can't agree with that." Xiao Junmo said, "The state has state laws, and the family has family rules. If everyone in the alliance is like you, then What kind of organization do you want to form? I’m afraid you don’t have to wait until it’s disbanded, so you should break up first? Since you claim to be loyal to the alliance, you must first not break the rules of the alliance, otherwise, where does your so-called loyalty come from?”
Xi Yan was at a loss for words, thought for a while and said, "I was the one who spoke abruptly, and I didn't think carefully. Please forgive me." "However, the Zuoshi said that he wanted to disband the organization, but I still can't agree."
"If the envoy Zuo wants you to agree to something, then you might as well be the leader." Xiao Junmo sneered.
"That's not what I mean..." Xi Yan was embarrassed, "I can't just watch our centuries-old organization be destroyed in one go."
"Then do you think the organization can be preserved if you don't hand over Fang Shang to Zuo Shi?" Xiao Junmo looked directly at him, "If one day Mingzang finds you and asks you to hand over things to him, will you hand it over? If you hand it in, you and the organization will become a knife in his hand, and eventually harm others and yourself; How to protect the organization? How to protect yourself and the lives of all the brothers at the helm?"
Xi Yan was shaken all over, stayed where he was, unable to speak, and said after a while: "If there is such a day, Xi would rather smash the jade than be whole."
"What a good one would rather break the jade than make it whole!" Xiao Jun smiled silently, "Xiao admires Mr. Donggu's courage. However, you said just now that you are not foolish and loyal, but now why are you showing the courage of a common man? Everything is forewarned, and if you do not forewarn, you will not succeed." Waste. The purpose of the Zuo envoy to take back the three cups is to prevent Mingzang from using the organization, thereby saving the lives of thousands of brothers and their families in the League; but you keep saying that you don’t want to see the organization destroyed, but you can only wait for Mingzang to come to your door. Fight him for a piece of jade. Xiao just wants to ask, is it Zuoshi who is stupid, or Mr. Donggu?"
Xi Yan was speechless, but still stubbornly said: "Of course you are right, but... But I still can't accept the self-destructive organization."
Debate is dumbfounding.
Xiao Junmo didn't expect that this guy would still be so stubborn after clearly putting the pros and cons in front of his eyes.
"Zuo Shi, Xiao Lang, and Xi understand your thoughts, but you really don't agree with them, so please forgive me for being difficult. Take care, Xi, and leave." After Xi Yan finished speaking, without waiting for the two to respond, he bowed his head He clasped his hands and turned to leave.
"Donggu!" Biancai blushed with anger, and wanted to catch up, but Xiao Junmo grabbed him: "Master, if things are slow, things will be smooth. With Donggu's temperament, it may be difficult to figure it out for a while, so let him Just a little time."
"But do we still have time?" Biancai has always been calm and rarely gets angry, this time he really can't hold back, "The whereabouts of Yuan's cup is unknown, Fang's cup refuses to be returned, and we are in danger again, if this continues , how should things be cleaned up?"
"Master, don't worry, there will always be a way." Xiao Junmo comforted him, but in fact, there was nothing he could do.
"Xiao Lang, do you think there is something wrong with Donggu's push and push?" Biancai asked suspiciously, "Could it be him who did what happened to Dajue Temple?"
Xiao Junmo looked at the back of Xi Yan, unable to answer yes or no simply.He just felt that the water in Jiangling was much deeper than he originally imagined...
The meeting point between debaters and Mr. Huibo, Xie Ji, was in a magnificent restaurant in the east of Jiangling City.
The name of the restaurant is Fulitang, which is owned by Xie Ji himself.
He opened the most luxurious and spacious private room to receive Biancai and Xiao Junmo. In addition to delicious food and wine, he even prepared a group of beauties to accompany the wine.This battle was in stark contrast to the meeting with Xi Yan in the cemetery in the morning.Xiao Junmo couldn't help but find it funny in his heart while feeling this kind of situation of ice and fire.
When Biancai saw the beautiful women in the room, he immediately frowned, and repeatedly signaled Xie Ji to let them back down.
Xie Ji had a big belly and a greasy face. There seemed to be a smile on his face at any time. Seeing that Biancai was so embarrassed, he couldn't help laughing and said, "The Zuo envoy is no longer a monk. Why stick to those rules and regulations? Let them drink with you first. When we're done, let's talk business."
"The poor monk appreciates your kindness." Biancai said coldly, "Although the poor monk doesn't live in the monastery, he has always demanded himself as a monk. He has abstained from drinking and sex for many years. I hope Hui Bo can understand."
"Understood." Xie Ji hurriedly hid his embarrassment with a laugh, "The Zuo envoy is so clean and self-possessed, I really admire the subordinates!" After speaking, he shook his hand and drove out a room full of beauties.
The private room fell silent for a moment, and the debater didn't want to waste any more time, so he cut to the chase and said, "Hui Bo, I think you know that the poor monk came here for one thing only, which is the cup in your hand."
It turns out that the one in Xie Ji's hand is called "Jiao Shang", and it seems that the shape is completely different from the previous two.Xiao Junmo thought so, secretly observing Xie Ji's reaction.
"Oh, Zuo Envoy, you should have come a long time ago!" Xie Ji looked relieved, "To tell you the truth, Zuo Envoy, for so many years, my subordinates have been holding this thing in their hands. I look forward to the lord and you hurrying to take it back. This time it’s all right, and the subordinates can finally sleep peacefully!"
Hearing the words, the eloquent heart was finally relieved.Among the three cups, finally one cup can be retrieved smoothly.
Xiao Junmo looked at Xie Ji thoughtfully, and suddenly smiled and said: "Mr. Huibo, back then the leader gave you the horn cup because he trusted you, but what you said sounds like you are complaining? "
"I don't know if this is..." Xie Ji looked him up.
"There is no limit below."
"Oh, it turned out to be Mr. Wu Ya, sorry for your disrespect!" Xie Ji smiled all over his face, and cupped his hands again and again, "I didn't expect Mr. Wu Ya to be so young, he really is a hero from ancient times!"
"Mr. Echo, you're being polite. I'm a little curious. The leader just asked you to keep an item. Why does it seem like he's harming you?"
"No, no, that's not what I mean." Xie Ji smiled, "The main thing is that this item is too important, and the restart organization depends on it, so I dare not take it lightly! Over the years, I have been trembling, always wondering where to put this item It's not safe, I'm worried all day long, I'm almost sick from fright..."
Biancai was slightly surprised, as if thinking of something, secretly glanced at Xiao Junmo.Xiao Junmo remained calm, and said with a faint smile: "So, Mr. Hui Bo has really worked hard, then you should hurry up and hand over the things to Zuo Shi, so that you can sit back and relax tonight."
"Of course, of course, why don't I think so, but..." Xie Ji hesitated to speak.
"But what?" Biancai was startled, and his relaxed mood immediately became tense again.Xiao Junmo seemed to have expected it, and just looked at Xie Ji quietly.
"This thing is so important, I dare not keep it by my side."
"Then where do you put it?" Biancai was very anxious.
"Don't be afraid to make jokes. In order to ensure the safety of the coffin, my father passed away three years ago, so I put it...in my father's coffin."
"What did you say?!" Biancai stood up and looked at Xie Ji in disbelief.
Xiao Junmo suddenly smiled wryly in his heart: Another cemetery!Why are these three cups always entangled with the dead and the cemetery? !
"Don't worry, envoy Zuo. In a few days, my subordinates will definitely send someone to dig it out." "No, you have to give it to me tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Xie Ji looked embarrassed, "Tomorrow, no... no!"
"Why not?"
"Today is the tenth day of June..." Xie Ji pinched his fingers and muttered, "In the past few days, breaking ground, breaking ground, funerals, and burials are all taboos. How dare my subordinates move my father's grave? Let me figure it out …By the way, on the seventeenth day, you can sacrifice, destroy the wall, break ground, or break the ground, just wait for me for a few days, on June [-]th, the subordinates promise to hand over the things to you!"
Biancai sat back dejectedly, with a helpless expression on his face.
"Zuo Shi, since the echo is difficult, let's wait, anyway, it will only take six or seven days, so we can't miss it." Xiao Junmo said.
"Yes, yes, what Wu Ya said is true!" Xie Ji was overjoyed, "I've been waiting for more than 20 years, and it's not bad for these few days, isn't it?"
Coming out of Fulitang Restaurant, as soon as he boarded the hired carriage, Biancai couldn't wait to ask Xiao Junmo: "Did you deliberately trick him just now?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "Yes."
"How did you see the problem?" Bian Cai was very curious.
"As soon as you mentioned the matter to him, his expressions and words seemed exaggerated, as if he was trying to cover up something, so I tried to get him to talk as much as possible. As the saying goes, too much talk will lead to loss, and he said, "This object It’s too important to restart the organization, and it really exposed the tail. In my estimation, when the leader handed over the cup to him, he would never tell him the purpose of this thing, right?”
"Of course not. Whether it is Xie Ji, Xi Yan or Xuan Guan, although they all know that the thing in their hands is very important, no one knows its specific purpose."
"So, Xie Jineng said the words 'restart the organization', obviously someone told him." Xiao Junmo said, "Master, Mingzang must know about the purpose of the three cups, right?"
Bian Cai was surprised: "You mean, Xie Ji and Ming Zang are in the same group?"
"That's the only reasonable explanation, unless there are other people with knowledge of the matter."
Biancai said without hesitation: "No, no one else knows about it except my predecessor, Ming Zang and me."
"It can be seen from this that Xie Ji is Mingzang's person. He deliberately delayed for seven days, just to inform Mingzang to come to Jiangling."
"But there are only seven days. He has to send the news and wait for Mingzang to come over. Is there enough time?"
"Jiangling is more than 400 miles away from Chang'an. If you have well-trained pigeons, you can fly there in two days at most. In the remaining five days, Mingzang will come here without stopping, which is more than enough."
Biancai smiled wryly: "From this point of view, the person who threatened Xuanguan must be this Xie Ji, and those fake monks who ambush in Dajue Temple last night are also his people."
This conclusion is obvious, but for some reason, Xiao Junmo dare not draw this conclusion lightly.He always vaguely felt that what happened in Dajue Temple last night seemed not so simple.Certain unusual details floated before his eyes like a spider's thread in the darkness, but he could not grasp them.
Xiao Junmo closed his eyes.
The scenes that happened in Dajue Temple last night began to flash slowly in his mind, or to be precise, the scenes were played back and reproduced in his mind.
Since childhood, Xiao Junmo has had a special ability - as long as the scenes he has witnessed, they will be engraved in his mind like a portrait. Once needed, he can call up those pictures one by one, and then reproduce them repeatedly, looking for a certain Some crucial but missed details, and finally splicing the fragmented details one by one to obtain the truth hidden behind things.Xiao Junmo didn't stay in Xuanjiawei for a long time, and the reason why he was able to solve major cases repeatedly was due to this ability to a certain extent.
At this moment, the bumping and shaking of the carriage did not affect Xiao Junmo at all.In the high concentration like meditation, he returned to the Dajue Temple last night, walking through, staying, observing, and thinking in the frozen scenes...
After quickly passing through many insignificant scenes, Xiao Junmo entered the Palace of Heavenly Kings, and the picture was frozen at the moment when Huiyuan stabbed Xuanguan with a dagger: the sharp dagger accurately pierced Xuanguan's left chest, which is the heart.This is consistent with Xiao Junmo's initial observation, and there seems to be no doubt about it.
Xiao Junmo stretched out his right index finger, swiped it in front of his eyes, and instantly entered the second freeze-frame picture: Xuan Guan with a pale face lying powerlessly in his arms, blood gurgling from the wound on his left chest.Xiao Junmo stared at the wound, frowning slightly, thoughtful.
Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger again, and entered the third freeze frame: Xuan Guan was sitting cross-legged on the Zen bed in the abbot's room, his face was serene, and he didn't look like he was assassinated at all. Sitting peacefully.Xiao Junmo stood in front of the Zen bed and watched Xuan Guan.Suddenly, he bent down and put his ear on Xuan Guan's left chest, and after a while, he moved his ear to the right chest.In an instant, a cloud of suspicion floated in his eyes...
In the fourth freeze frame, the four of them have returned to the inn and are discussing in the debate room.Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger, the screen fast-forwarded, and then stopped at a certain place, Hua Linger's voice sounded: "Could it be that he wants to die on purpose for you to see? Is he sick?!" followed by Xiao Junmo's voice: "In In my opinion, he didn't want to die on purpose for us to see, but for those who threatened him."
Xiao Junmo swiped his index finger again, the screen continued to fast-forward, and then Xiao Junmo said to the debater: "When you and the leader of the Zhiyong League were stationed in Xi Dajue Temple, everyone in the Tianxing League must know..."
Xiao Junmo showed panic on his face, and quickly swiped his index finger in the opposite direction, and the screen quickly returned to the back mountain of Jiayugou, Xiao Junmo said to the debater: "The mage took the road of Lantian and Wuguan, and he must be planning to go to Jingchu. If my predictions are correct, the mage probably wants to go to Jiangling, Jingzhou, right?"
……
In the carriage, Xiao Junmo suddenly opened his eyes with a look of horror.
Bian Cai was taken aback, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"The person who threatened Xuanguan is probably not Xie Ji." Xiao Junmo's voice was as cold as ice.
"Who else could it be if it wasn't him? Could it be Xi Yan?" Biancai looked at Xiao Junmo's expression, and felt goosebumps on his body.
Xiao Junmo shook his head.
"Who is that?" Biancai was completely confused.
Xiao Junmo was silent for a moment, and then three words popped out between his teeth:
"Xuanjiawei."
Pei Tinglong sat in the main hall of the Jingzhou mansion, and after listening to Xue An's report, a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Today, Xiao Junmo and Biancai's every move in Jiangling City did not escape his control.According to Xue An's report, in the morning, Xiao Junmo and Biancai went to the cemetery in the west of the city to have a meeting with a coffin shop owner named Xiyan; in the afternoon, the two went to Fulitang Restaurant in the east of the city to meet the owner Xie Ji.In addition to the previously excavated Dajue Temple Xuanguan, so far, Pei Tinglong has successfully uncovered the three branches of the Tianxing League in Jiangling.
Next, Pei Tinglong is really looking forward to how many sub-helms Xiao Junmo and Biancai will meet.He had to admire that the emperor's long-term plan to catch big fish was really wise, which was much more rewarding than directly arresting Xiao Junmo and Biancai.Right now, the only fly in the ointment is that he sent dozens of men with good water skills into the release pool and the secret path to search for that thing, but they still found nothing.Pei Tinglong had no choice but to seal up the Dajue Temple, and arrested all the monks in the temple, including the Prison Yuan, to Jingzhou Mansion, hoping to dig out some valuable clues through torture.
"Have those monks recruited?" Pei Tinglong asked.
"Back to the general, I don't know whether these guys really don't know or are too capable. The subordinates have exhausted their methods, but they still insist that they don't know anything."
Pei Tinglong pondered for a while: "Continue the trial. Remember, I only have one request: I would rather persecute than persecute."
"Yes." Xue An took the order and hurriedly withdrew.
At this time, Huan Dieyi happened to pass by Xue An, walked in with a displeased face, and said loudly: "General Pei, since you entered Jiangling City, you have left your subordinates and Team Luo aside. What exactly does that mean?"
Pei Tinglong smiled, and said warmly: "Dieyi, you and Luo Biao have worked hard on this journey, I just want you to rest for two more days, there is no other meaning."
"Thank you General for your kindness! But we've had enough rest, so it's time to switch with the brothers on the front line, right?"
"No hurry, no hurry, we've only been in Jiangling for a few days?" Pei Tinglong still smiled, "If you feel bored, why don't I accompany you for a walk outside? This Jiangling is a good place. I heard that it was the Chu Palace back then ..."
"General, my subordinates are here to carry out missions, not to visit the mountains and rivers." Huan Dieyi interrupted him coldly, "Let's ask the general to assign missions."
"Okay, I appreciate your spirit of not giving up to a man!" Pei Tinglong laughed, "Of course there will be missions, but you have to let me arrange them. How about this, you go down first, and I will let Xue Ann let you know, okay?"
"General, please forgive me for saying something offensive. If you insist on pushing out your subordinates and Luo Duizheng, then your subordinates have no choice but to directly report the situation to the Holy Majesty and the General." Huan Dieyi was not polite. road.
"It's too serious, you are all veterans of Xuanjiawei, how could I squeeze you out? You completely misunderstood my kindness..."
"Whether there is a misunderstanding depends on what the general does. This subordinate will go down now and wait for the general's order." After Huan Dieyi finished speaking, he cupped his hands and strode out.
Pei Tinglong squinted at her back, bursts of anger burst into his heart, but he couldn't express it.
He has never been afraid of anyone in his life, but he has nothing to do with this woman.First of all, it is because she is the niece of the immediate boss Li Shiji, but the most important thing is because I like her, for no reason.
Sometimes Pei Tinglong scolds himself for being worthless, why lose the dignity that his boss should have repeatedly for a woman?But every time he saw her, his heart immediately softened again.
Huan Dieyi, you are my fault!
Taiji Palace, Liangyi Hall.
Li Shimin sat on the imperial couch with a gloomy expression on his face.Changsun Wuji and Liu Ji stood on both sides of the imperial couch, and below stood Li Tai, Du Chuke, and Du He.Du He's neck was bandaged with gauze, and the shape was a little funny. Although the many wounds on Du Chuke's body were also bandaged, they were still in pain at this moment.
Li Shimin was both shocked and angry by the assassination case that happened yesterday in the Anxiang Building of Chongrenfang, because the nature was so bad - a dignified prince, a prince consort, and a third-rank minister were unexpectedly on the edge of the imperial city. Assassinated!If the case cannot be solved as soon as possible and the real culprit behind the scenes is caught, what will be the prestige of the court and the face of the emperor? !
Therefore, Li Shimin paid special attention to this case. Today, he specially summoned the three parties to the palace and personally questioned the whole incident.At this moment, the three of them had finished reporting, Li Shimin frowned and pondered for a while, then said to Changsun Wuji: "How did the assassin's interrogation go?"
"Return to Your Majesty, King Wu and General Li are currently on trial. As soon as there is news, they will report to the palace immediately."
After yesterday's incident, Li Shimin ordered Li Ke to take the assassin who was caught on the scene to Xuanjiawei, where he will be interrogated with Li Shiji.So far, the interrogation has been going on for a day and a night, but the assassin still hasn't revealed the person behind the scenes.
"Qingque," Li Shimin stared at Li Tai, "Didn't you promise me not to set foot in the romantic place again, why did you forget this time?"
"Go back to Father," Li Tai said with aggrieved expression, "The Anxiang Tower that I went to yesterday is not a romantic place, it's just an ordinary wine shop, I hope Father will check it out."
Li Shimin consulted Changsun Wuji with his eyes, and the other party nodded secretly.The emperor has been in power for a long time, and he has rarely been out of the palace for many years, so he naturally doesn't know much about these situations among the people.After getting an affirmative answer, he didn't say anything, and turned to Du He and said: "Du He, as far as I know, you don't bring bodyguards with you when you usually go out, why did you bring four bodyguards with you when you went to the Qingque Banquet yesterday?" What about it? And it is said that the skills are not weak, did you notice something beforehand?"
"Returning to Your Majesty, this... this is purely a coincidence. Those four martial artists were recently hired by the minister. They were mainly used to practice boxing and kicking with the minister in their spare time. They were not intended to be bodyguards. Yesterday, the minister was on a whim. , took them out together, and didn't realize anything beforehand, it was just a coincidence that they caught up."
Du He knew in his heart that the real identities of Xie Chong and the others must not arouse the emperor's suspicion, let alone be found out, otherwise he would suffer disaster, even the crown prince would be ruined, so now he can only cover up lightly.
"Coincidentally?" Li Shimin looked suspiciously, "Is there really such a coincidence?"
Du He's heart trembled, and he hurriedly said: "Yes, Your Majesty, this minister is also very grateful for this, maybe... maybe it is my father's spirit in heaven that has protected this minister from the catastrophe. Your Majesty does not know, but recently my minister often Missing my father, always thinking of my father's untimely death, and not being able to witness the current peaceful and prosperous world, I will feel sad and heartbroken, and even don't think about eating and drinking all day long." As he spoke, his voice choked up. "A few days ago, Wei Chen was still kneeling in front of my father's spiritual throne, weeping and telling his old man all kinds of missing feelings. Maybe it was because of this little filial piety of Wei Chen that touched my father's spirit in heaven, so..."
Li Shimin waved his hand, interrupting Du He's chatter.
Of course he knew who this son-in-law was, and the filial piety shown in public was really too superficial and cheap.At the beginning, if it weren't for the fact that his father Du Ruhui was a hero and made great contributions to the court, he would never have betrothed his daughter Princess Chengyang to Du He.Hearing Du He's rambling at this moment, although Li Shimin was a little disgusted, his heart was touched after all, and suddenly recalled the relationship between the monarch and his ministers with Du Ruhui back then, and his eyes became moist without realizing it.
Du He secretly observed the emperor's expression, knowing that his sensationalism had achieved the purpose of diverting his attention, so he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, Li Shimin didn't pursue the matter of his bodyguard any more, and instead asked Du Chuke: "Chuke, according to what you just said, the assassin's primary target is Du He, followed by you and King Wei. Is there such a possibility?" ——Is the mastermind of this matter someone who has an old grudge against your Du family? Or, is it someone who offended when Ruhui was alive?"
Du Chuke pretended to think about it for a while, and said: "Returning to Your Majesty, I think this possibility is very small, because my brother always puts benevolence and righteousness first in dealing with others, and he is honest, selfless, fair and wise when he is an official, and this is something His Majesty is familiar with. Extra words. Taking a step back, even if my brother offended someone in the officialdom, it was definitely not a personal enmity, not to mention that my brother has been dead for many years. If anyone really harbored resentment, it should have been forgotten long ago. What kind of deep hatred can make him How about today?"
Li Shimin pondered for a while, nodded and said: "Ru Hui has been open and upright all his life, and I also believe that he has never had any enemies with others, but... How about you, Chu Ke?"
Du Chuke smiled slightly: "The cultivation level of my minister is certainly not as far as that of my brother, but when it comes to enmity with others, it seems that he is not too good at it. Besides, if the enemy of the minister instigates, the assassin from yesterday should attack the minister first, but This is not the case, so I think that the mastermind behind the scenes must be someone who has a grudge against Du He."
Du He managed to draw the emperor's attention away, but he didn't want to be surrounded by Du Chuke again, cursing secretly in his heart, but he didn't dare to show the slightest thing on his face.
"Well, it makes sense." Li Shimin turned his gaze to Du He again, "Tell me, I know you have a lot of friends, have you offended anyone in the government and the opposition recently?"
"No, Your Majesty, I have always kept myself safe, have I ever offended anyone?"
"Du He, think about it carefully." Du Chuke looked at him with a smile, "As the saying goes, misfortune comes from your mouth. Could it be that you said something unintentionally and offended some dignitary?"
Du He was taken aback for a moment, although he felt that this sounded uncomfortable, but he had to admit that this possibility really existed, and immediately frowned and began to think about it.
Li Tai raised his eyes, and secretly exchanged a look with Liu Jie.
The topic has been paved here, that is, everything is ready, and only Li Ke's "east wind" is owed.Li Tai thought proudly that as long as Li Ke presented the assassin's confession, the emperor himself would connect everything together, and then draw the obvious conclusion.
At this moment, the eunuch outside the hall approached in small steps, bowed and said, "I would like to report to Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King Wu and General Li Shiji are here to see you."
"Quick pass!" Li Shimin was very excited, it seems that the assassin must have recruited.
Soon, Li Ke and Li Shiji hurried to the hall.After saluting, Li Ke took out a memorial from his sleeve, put his hands on the top of his head, and said loudly: "Father, Li Feng, the murderer in the Anxianglou case, has confessed, and the confession is recorded here. Yulan!"
Finally waited until this moment!
A burst of ecstasy flashed through Li Tai's heart.
Zhao Dequan who was standing by the imperial couch hurried over, took the memorial and presented it to Li Shimin.Li Shimin opened it, and after scanning a few lines, his whole body froze, and his face suddenly turned ashen.
The eldest grandson Wuji who was at the side was startled, and hurriedly approached the emperor, and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what happened...?"
Li Shimin paid no attention to it, the muscles on his face twitched slightly, and he passed the memorial after a while, but unexpectedly, his hand trembled and fell to the ground.Zhao Dequan had never seen the emperor like this, he was shocked and worried, he hurriedly picked up the memorial, and handed it to Zhangsun Wuji.
Changsun Wuji took it over and looked at it, his expression changed instantly, and then he looked at Li Ke in astonishment: "His Royal Highness, is this really the assassin's confession?"
"Yes, Mr. Grandson, it's absolutely true. The king didn't believe it at first, but after repeated interrogation, the culprit didn't change his words, so the king had no choice but to report the truth."
Changsun Wuji turned his gaze to Li Shiji again, who nodded slightly, confirming Li Ke's words.Changsun Wuji sighed and had no choice but to look back at the emperor.
Li Shimin forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, stared at Du He and said, "Du He, think about it for yourself, have you done anything or said something recently that involved...involved in the East Palace?"
As soon as these words came out, Li Tai, Du Chuke, Du He, Liu Ji, and Zhao De all showed astonishment.Of course, only the expressions of Du He and Zhao Dequan are true.
Du He was dumbfounded, unable to react at all.
His mind is all messed up now.From the tone of the emperor, the mastermind of the assassin's confession was obviously Donggong, but how could this be possible?Even if the crown prince doesn't want to use him anymore, he wouldn't kill him to silence him, right?Besides, if the crown prince really wanted to do this, why would he send Xie Chong and other experts to protect him?
The more Du He thought about it, the more confused he became, and he froze there for a while, unable to speak.
At this time, Liu Jie said without losing the opportunity: "I want to report to Your Majesty, I have a word, I don't know if I should say it or not."
"speak."
"Yes. I don't know if Your Majesty still remembers that I made a memorial a few days ago, and what I said in it involved the East Palace. And I also reported the truth to Your Majesty in the memorial. The source of my news is Du charge."
Li Shimin suddenly remembered that Liu Jie had indeed made a statement a few days ago, saying that the specifications and interiors of some of the cars in Donggong Palace were suspected of exceeding the standard in many details.Li Shimin approved it at that time, ordered Donggong to rectify immediately, and issued an edict to criticize and educate the prince.But he forgot about it once the matter was over, and he didn't take it to heart, because the transgression of the East Palace did not exceed the emperor's system, it was just too extravagant, not a big deal.However, at this moment, this incident clearly constituted the prince's motive to take revenge on Du He and pay for murder.
When Du He heard Liu Ji's words, his face was even more confused.In order to gain Li Tai's trust, he had indeed leaked some unfavorable news to the East Palace under the order of the crown prince, but how could such insignificant information have something to do with the assassination case?
"Liu Ji, according to what you mean, Donggong knew the content of your memorial, so he held a grudge against Du He, so he brazenly paid for murder?" Li Shimin asked with squinting eyes.
"Return to Your Majesty, I dare not make such a judgment." Liu Ji said calmly, "I am just stating the facts. As for how the facts are related to this case, it is not within the scope of my duties, so I dare not comment."
"I'll ask you again, did Du He personally tell you about the Donggong car driving over the limit?"
"It's not."
"Then who did you listen to?"
"This..." Liu Ji intentionally showed hesitation.
"Why," Li Shimin looked at him with some sarcasm, "Just now you said it clearly and logically, but now there is something unspeakable?"
Before Liu Ji could speak, Li Tai took a step forward and rushed to say: "I want to report to my father, this matter was told to Liu Shizhong after hearing Du He's words."
Liu Ji and Li Tai's performance was actually discussed in advance, and it was nothing more than for Li Shimin to watch.Because Li Tai knows very well that if a lie is to be packaged as the truth, there must be some truth in it, especially some key details, the more truthful the better.Just like now, Li Tai deliberately showed an appearance of speaking ill of the prince in private, just to make this situation more real-to put it bluntly, I have already admitted things that are not good for me, and you still doubt me. words?
Li Shimin's face darkened when he heard this: "Qingque, when did you learn the gossip and gossip skills of a gossiping woman?"
"I'm wronged, Father!" Li Tai said aggrievedly, "I said this to Liu Shizhong, just to let Father, you understand the situation, so that you can correct your inappropriate behavior in time. The starting point of this minister is to protect the court on the one hand. Tsunaki, on the other hand, is also to urge the eldest brother to make him a more virtuous crown prince!"
Li Shimin snorted coldly in his heart, knowing that Li Tai's words were all insincere and high-sounding big words, but these words were all true on the scene, making it hard to refute.
"Qing Que, tell me, just because Du He told you about the car overrunning in the East Palace, will your elder brother instruct Li Feng and others to take revenge and kill people?"
Li Shimin's question is very tempting. If Li Tai climbs up the pole, he will expose himself.Of course he wasn't that stupid, but said calmly: "Going back to Emperor Father, I think it's impossible."
"What's the reason?"
"Even if the eldest brother hates Du He for this matter, it is not enough to kill someone. Moreover, those assassins yesterday wanted to kill not only Du He, but also Erchen and Du Shangshu. This at least proves that the motive of the mastermind is not only It's as simple as taking revenge on Du He." Li Tai's words were a typical way of playing hard to get, on the surface it seemed to be speaking for the crown prince, but in fact it was to lure Li Shimin's thoughts to rely on the "battle for the heir apparent".
Sure enough, Li Shimin frowned upon hearing this.
Du He used to have a good relationship with the crown prince, but later he became very close to Li Tai. Li Tai leaked the inside story of the East Palace, causing Liu Ji to participate in the performance, and the prince had even more reason to hate Du He.
In addition, from the perspective of seizing the heir, the person the crown prince fears the most now is Li Tai, followed by Shi Du Chuke, the head of Wei Wangfu.This is equivalent to saying that the three people at the banquet in Anxiang Tower yesterday were all the crown prince hated the most. If he had obtained the information in advance, he would send out assassins to get rid of these three people, wouldn't it be logical?
From this point of view, the biggest suspect in the Anxianglou case must be the prince.First of all, he has a sufficient motive for killing; secondly, there is now the assassin's confession.From the looks of it, this seems to be an ironclad case.However, relying on years of experience in conspiracy and political struggles, Li Shimin knows that the more seamless a thing looks on the surface, the more suspected it is that it is artificially designed.Therefore, it is too early to draw any conclusions.
"Dequan."
"The slave is here."
"I passed on my oral order to summon the crown prince to enter the palace immediately and temporarily live in the Baifu Palace. Without my permission, he is not allowed to leave the palace for half a step."
"The slave obeys the order."
What the emperor did was equivalent to putting the prince under house arrest.When everyone present heard this, their expressions were somewhat complicated.House arrest is the prelude to dethrone, and it seems that this time the prince is in danger.Li Tai suppressed the excitement in his heart, as if he saw the gate of the East Palace suddenly opening to him.
At this moment, Du He, who had been blinded for a long time, finally woke up.
Although he has not fully understood the whole truth, the result of the prince's house arrest is obvious.When the crown prince had an accident, the biggest beneficiary was naturally Wei Wang Li Tai.It can be seen from this that the assassination of Anxianglou was entirely possible to be a conspiracy planned by Li Tai, with the purpose of killing Du He and blaming the prince!
However, even though he realized this point, Du He could only be a dumb man eating Coptis chinensis, unable to tell what he was suffering.Because it is absolutely impossible for him to admit to the emperor that he is the secret agent sent by the crown prince to King Wei.
"Ke'er," Li Shimin pondered for a moment, and said to Li Ke, "Bring the criminal into the palace tomorrow, and I will interrogate him personally."
"My son obeys the order."
Regardless of whether the prince is innocent or not, the only way to find out the truth is to interrogate Li Feng further.
(End of this chapter)
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