Xing Shigu, the captain of the Jingzhao Prefecture, turned to look at the Minister of Justice, his eyes seemed to say: Boss, you are a third-rank official, and I, a junior official, will listen to you.
The corners of the Minister's mouth twitched and he looked at the head of the Black Ice Platform, his eyes seeming to say: You are His Majesty's favorite, I cannot control this case, I will listen to you.
The leader of the Black Ice Platform, Xuan Hu, narrowed his eyes slightly, but he didn't really shirk it. He said coldly: "We can't let His Highness suffer such unknown injustice. Let's go to trial!"
After the order was issued, the torture veterans who had been prepared were immediately overjoyed. Thinking that this case might bring the prince of a country into trouble, these people actually rubbed their hands excitedly and looked at the arrogant Crown Prince Sheren who was still there. , just like a man who has been holding back for a long time, standing under the brothel.
"Wait a minute, tell them that they are from the East Palace after all, and they should not leave marks on their bodies during the torture."
After hearing Xuanhu's words, the Minister of Punishment and Xing Shigu were both stunned.
If you can't leave a mark on this body, how can you use torture? How can the other party be afraid?
Unexpectedly, the veterans of torture just nodded lightly after hearing this, as if they didn't feel anything at all.
"Did you hear everything I just said? I'll say it again. I'm working for His Highness. If you dare to obstruct it, you won't be able to bear the consequences if something goes wrong!"
"Haha, Mr. Dong is so majestic!"
A veteran torturer chuckled, walked up to Dong Sicheng who was tied to the wooden frame, and patted the wooden frame, "Did you know that a book of ministers was tied to the wooden stake where you are tied now? I have kidnapped a marquis and a general, but they are not as arrogant as you!"
He looked at the domineering-looking Prince Sheren, his expression still gentle, and pointed around, "Dong Sheren, you can see clearly, this is the Black Ice Platform!"
Dong Sicheng subconsciously followed his finger and looked around, looking at the dark and gloomy surroundings, smelling the strong scent of blood and putrid smell at the end of his nose. All the rumors about the Black Ice Platform he had heard since childhood automatically poured into his mind, and fear and uneasiness began to flow into his mind. His heart was slowly rising, but he still pretended to be calm, "What about the Black Ice Platform? Can the Black Ice Platform arrest the imperial officials arbitrarily?"
The man was all amused, "Hey! Don't tell me, this is really what we at Heibingtai do!"
He pressed a switch and slowly leveled the special wooden stake, and Dong Sicheng lay down as if he was tied to a bed.
The man smiled and said: "Since you are from the East Palace, we still have to give His Highness the dignity of the Crown Prince. Today we will not play with those bloody things and play with something elegant."
As he said that, he covered Dong Sicheng's face with a piece of soaked yellow paper, "Master Dong, enjoy it!"
The soaked yellow paper undulated violently on Dong Sicheng's mouth and nose, and then the movement became weaker and weaker, and Dong Sicheng's chest rose and fell smaller and smaller.
The man was observing the movement, stuck for time, and suddenly pulled off the yellow paper. Dong Sicheng felt that the bloody and polluted air was so sweet and refreshing at the moment.
Just when he was about to take a greedy breath, the man covered his face with yellow paper again.
"This time, I won't reveal it to you so early. If you plan to cooperate honestly, use your right hand as a thumb. If you don't compare with me, I will treat you as stubbornly resisting. Well, you really know the current situation!"
Before he finished speaking, Dong Sicheng eagerly gave a thumbs up.
The speed is so fast that it seems to be complaining, why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did I suffer this?
The Minister of Justice and the Captain of the Jingzhao Mansion looked at the leader of the Black Ice Platform, who looked calm and composed, with their eyes as if they were looking at the most terrifying demon under Jiuquan.
Dong Sicheng surrendered, but the veteran torturer did not reach out in a hurry. Instead, he waited until the feeling of suffocation and death completely enveloped Dong Sicheng before he took off the yellow paper and said in a deep voice: "Say! Go to the blacksmith today. What are you doing!"
——
In the central courtyard, several of the most powerful figures in the court were sitting in the study, their expressions a little solemn.
As the prime minister, Prime Minister Qin naturally presided over the rhythm of this small meeting and said slowly: "The situation of the Ministry of Punishment and Jingzhao Mansion has just been discussed. Let's talk about it. What should we do this time?"
Unlike before, all parties wanted to keep Xia Jingyun in prison. This time, the bosses of each faction had their own ideas.
A central official spoke first, "I think the matter involves the crown prince. It is unwise for a son of the Qin family to shake the foundation of the country. The case should be settled by others, and the case will be closed."
Someone immediately retorted: "How can it be so easy to find a suitable person? If there is really a conflict of interests, how can you be a commoner who can take away his life at will?"
Then someone else said, "The matter involves the East Palace. I think we should ask His Majesty for instructions before deciding whether to investigate."
"Master Xu's words are wrong!" Some people also refuted these words, "Your Majesty and the Crown Prince are father and son. I leave this problem to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty allows the investigation, it will damage the relationship between father and son. If Your Majesty does not allow the investigation, it will be bad." The laws and regulations put His Majesty in a dilemma. We, the ministers, are here to share the Lord's worries. If we don't shoulder our responsibilities now, when will we?"
"But the matter involves the East Palace and concerns the heir apparent. How can we all afford such matters? Don't we have to report it to His Majesty in the end?"
"Of course I will in the end, but the question now is not whether we should discuss the prince's crime secretly, but whether we should let the Ministry of Punishment and Jingzhao Mansion follow the clues they finally found to investigate the case! My suggestion is to investigate thoroughly, investigate At that point, I have a clear conclusion, and I will report it to Your Majesty and ask him to make a decision!"
"I agree, let them investigate in secret, and the results of the investigation shall not be announced to the outside world."
"Speaking of which, don't any of us here think that His Majesty doesn't know about this? Since His Majesty knows and he didn't say anything, isn't it easy to guess some things?"
Prime Minister Qin listened silently to everyone's discussion and said: "In that case, let the Ministry of Punishment and Jingzhao Mansion investigate and get to the bottom of it, but the results must not be leaked! When the truth comes out, I will report to Your Majesty."
Everyone looked at each other and nodded in unison.
——
What the central ministers said was good, but just like any secret is no longer a secret as long as more than two people know it, such news was spread as usual even if it was repeated, and it reached the ears of many top forces in Zhongjing City.
As the head of the noble family, the British Duke Lu Rusong was naturally also in this group.
After getting the news, he sat in the room and pondered for a long time.
With his status, as long as he doesn't make mistakes, he is better than many people. Therefore, Wufu's thinking is very simple and effective. If I don't get involved in bad things that have nothing to do with me, there will be no loss.
In the previous incident, he only wanted to add fuel to the flames and make Xia Jingyun unlucky. He didn't care who was behind this and who was plotting against the Qin family.
But now, when the news reached his ears that the man behind the scenes might be the prince, he thought differently.
No matter how Linjiang County Prince and Jiaodong County Prince fight, or how Concubine Shu and Concubine De fight behind them, the premise of all this is that the prince must be deposed.
As long as the prince is still in the East Palace, their fight will be meaningless.
Although everyone believed that the prince would definitely be deposed, there was still an opportunity.
Could that opportunity be this?
He suddenly remembered a question. This case was tried together by the Ministry of Punishment, Jingzhao Mansion and Heibingtai. Heibingtai was only loyal to His Majesty. Would Your Majesty not know about this?
Since His Majesty knew it right away, why did His Majesty still not give instructions even though the news reached his ears?
hiss!
Previously, it was clear that Xia Jingyun was highly appreciated by His Majesty, and that Concubine De was also favored in the harem, but His Majesty pretended to be deaf and dumb on this matter. He would rather let Xia Jingyun go to jail than allow the Qin family to make the matter bigger. Isn't that in itself? Did he have the intention to bite the prince and take the opportunity to complete his final arrangements for the court?
Thinking of this, the British father stood up and his expression became more serious.
After waiting another night, when there was still no news from the palace, the British Duke made up his mind.
Add fuel to the flames!
The prince abdicates, just this time!
In the afternoon of that day, rumors appeared in the city, pointing the finger at the prince for killing the eldest son of the Qin family!
The rumors also made up the details, saying that the prince wanted to collude with the Qin family in order to increase his strength. Who knew that the Qin family would not comply, and the prince was too soft to do anything, so he wanted to create an opportunity and take advantage of the chaos. Annex the Qin family.
Rumors spread, and someone said that Prince Zhan Shi had visited the Qin Mansion;
Later, rumors spread among the three divisions that the prince Sheren often met with the groom who assassinated the eldest son of the Qin family. He was instructed by the prince and had already confessed.
All parties worked together silently to fill in all the details and spread the news more and more true. From the evidence to the people's hearts, everything began to develop rapidly in the direction of the prince being the mastermind of the assassination of Mr. Qin.
But something strange happened. Both the East Palace, which was at the center of the public opinion storm, and His Majesty, who was supposed to take action, seemed to be blinded, maintaining an unpredictable and frightening silence.
At this moment, Xia Jingyun was still in the cramped room, wrapped in a small blanket, eating solid food, and silently writing his answer sheet in a desolate and sleepy place.
Just when the three-day examination of the first class was about to end, and the candidates were all leaving the Gongyuan temporarily to take a day off before taking the second class exam, a decree suddenly came from the palace that had been silent for three days:
Prince Dongfang Ming was ordered to be the chief judge and lead the three divisions to conduct a public trial of the murder of Qin Yuwen, the eldest son of the Qin family. The case was solved within ten days.
(End of chapter)
