(3)
The minister of Dali Temple had been waiting in the trial seat for a long time. The officials on the left and right took the prisoners into custody, the arresting officer Chi Zhen dictated the charges, and relevant witnesses and physical evidence were waiting on the stage one after another.
The embers of that fire were still fermenting with heat.
"Why is it so hot? I'll go get some water to quench my thirst."
"Hey, give me some too..."
The two jailers who brought Hakuho were given a short tea break after completing their work.
"General Bai Feng, are you thirsty too? How about we serve some for you?"
"Thank you, brothers. I'm really thirsty."
"Hahaha, General Bai Feng is too polite. After all, you are also a general. Calling us big brother is unbearable!"
Bai Feng nodded and said it was okay, and then stood alone in the courtroom to accept the questioning from the Minister of Dali Temple.
The result was as expected, even if Bai Feng was really summoned, based solely on the inference of the facts, at most it would be a charge of dereliction of duty - suspension for investigation is the heaviest sentence, and it is far from being able to pin the name of "assassin" on him.
What's more, the internal affairs involved in this matter are of great significance. How dare the minister of Dali Temple dare to neglect it at all?
"Yu Chizhen, Huangfu, are you here?"
"Back to my lord, General Huangfu declined due to illness."
"It seems that if this matter is not reported to Emperor Ming, he will refuse to show up even if he is alive?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two jailers who were carrying water rushed over to deliver water and tea to Bai Feng. They were flattering. The minister of Dali Temple suddenly felt dissatisfied and shouted: "What are you doing? What's the etiquette of this? Let his own drink!"
Bai Feng's hands were shackles on his chest. Even if he took the water glass, he couldn't catch it with his mouth. In the end, he could only pour it into his mouth based on his feeling, which would inevitably make the place wet.
"Hurry up and take him down. We will try him again tomorrow!" The Dali Temple Minister showed disgust in his eyes, snorted, and left with a puff of his sleeves.
The next day, after the emperor learned the inside story of the case, he ordered Prince Gao Yang to supervise the progress of the case. Under pressure, the Huangfu family had no choice but to go to the palace to confront Bai Feng "while sick".
This man was wearing a thick brocade mink fur coat on a hot day, and came in on a red sedan carried by two people.
"The emperor pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Minister of Dali Temple." He coughed a few times, spit into the spittoon, and continued: "The official is seriously ill and cannot stand up to salute. I hope that His Highness the Crown Prince and the Minister of Dali Temple will forgive me. "
Gao Yang, as imposing as ever, said: "No one else will come to listen to the hearing today. You can speak out as boldly as possible. This matter is of great importance, so please don't hide it. I am investigating this matter thoroughly under the orders of my father. Please cooperate with me." , if you have merit you will be rewarded, and if you are guilty you will be rewarded, and I will report the truth to my father and mother."
The man in front of him inherited the crown prince as the non-legitimate eldest son. He acted decisively and resolutely, no less than the eldest brother in the past. He was even more experienced in handling government affairs than his eldest brother.
So some people took this as a basis and rumored that an assassin bribed by Gao Yang killed his brother and deliberately tried to seize the crown prince's position!
Whether this matter is true or not does not affect the fact that Gao Yang currently controls the overall situation of the trial, which means that Bai Feng's fate is actually in his hands. As for the consequences, right and wrong, it can only be left to future generations to decide. .
"What? This is nonsense!" When listening to Yu Chizhen's confession and testimony, the sick Huangfu suddenly became furious, pointed at Bai Feng and cursed: "How can you slander someone? General Bai Feng, I'm here to treat you." That’s not bad. You’ve lost your sense of proportion for such a big thing, and you’re going to blame me?”
Gao Yang's face changed drastically, and his voice suddenly became much lower, "General Huangfu, you have served in the court for many years, and my father trusts you very much. You resigned due to illness, and he agreed without changing his face. Now my father needs your help in handling the case, you How could you be so rude?"
"Your Highness!" Huangfu immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with me. All I know are the things that are rumored in the public. I really don't know the so-called inside story."
The Dali Temple Qing said: "Huangfu, can you tell me what the rumors you heard are?"
"Um...I heard that there has been an assassination in the palace recently? Some people say that the assassins were among the contestants in the imperial competition...Actually, that's all the official knows!" The more Huangfu talked, the more frightened he became.
Bai Feng immediately echoed: "General Huangfu, do you need me to remind you?"
"Say less!"
"The most important thing is that my wife Murong Yan was kidnapped by assassins." Bai Feng said, "Although this matter will not spread throughout the streets, it is related to the fate of the country, and the National Master and Mei The Prime Minister has sent people to blockade Jinyang, and the people in the city must have noticed it - General Huangfu doesn't know, right?"
Mrs. Huangfu said in a stunned tone: "This...who is this Murong Yan?"
"Well, since General Huangfu is such a noble man and forgets things so much, I can only ask His Highness the Crown Prince and your Excellency." Bai Feng closed his eyes and recalled for a moment, then said: "That day I went to visit General Huangfu at his residence and I gave him a good jade. In order to express friendship, we made the plan at that time."
Huangfu immediately retorted: "What kind of plan are you still making nonsense of?"
"Please also ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Minister of Dali Temple to send someone to find the jade pendant, and then summon the merchant Nie Yun who is still in the town. He should be staying in the Shijia Chamber of Commerce temporarily." Bai Feng's thoughts were careful and his confession was detailed. , pretending to insist that the Huangfu family is inseparable from this matter.
"Don't... Your Highness, Ji Yu!" He showed a special expression and was humble, hoping to avoid this unnecessary disaster by relying on his former friendship: "I have worked hard for the imperial court for many years, Ji Yu, don't you understand me?"
The minister of Dali Temple suddenly choked up, but due to the majesty of the prince, he could only make up his mind to draw a clear line with his old friend: "Yu Chizhen, bring the jade pendant and the businessman Nie Yun!"
"Yes!" Yuchi Zhen walked past Bai Feng and quickly gathered a group of teams to conduct house searches and summonses.
However, after a while, after being identified by the servants and Huangfu's family, the jade pendant was successfully found, and Nie Yun arrived at Dali Temple before the jade pendant as if he was prepared in advance.
"Is this jade really a gift from Nie Yun?" asked the minister of Dali Temple.
"The villain Nie Yun indeed gave this jade to General Bai Feng. The inside of the jade pendant has the mark of our Shi family craftsmen. Each craftsman will engrave his own name. Your Excellency is aware of it." Nie Yun handed it back, Gao Yang and Dali The temple minister looked at the evidence one after another and determined that the jade was made by Shi family craftsmen.
Prince Gao Yang made a final conclusion: "So, General Huangfu did meet with General Bai Feng, and they had a close friendship. Am I biased?"
"His Royal Highness, you have learned from this!" Bai Feng kowtowed in greeting: "I have spoken beforehand. All the credit will be taken by General Huangfu. I only hope that there will be no faults and no mistakes, so that I can have peace of mind!"
Gao Yang continued to ask: "General Huangfu, do you have anything else to say? Or I can ask you, the so-called 'assassin attack' may be true, but you actually want to risk the life of your mother, just... Is it a stepping stone for your own fame?"
"absurd!"
The prince was furious, and Huangfu knelt down and begged for mercy.
"I really can't argue with you."
