The emperor specially summoned the King of Jin, King of Qi, and Marquis Wen to discuss the sudden death of the commander of the imperial army and the loss of his seal.
Yan Chengtong was originally supposed to be summoned, but he was out of sympathy with his grief over the loss of his son and did not summon him.
In the Xuanshi Palace, Xiao Yuanhui seized on the uneasiness of the Imperial Guards without a master in the capital, and immediately recommended his trusted deputy commander to take over the position, preparing to take advantage of the situation to bring the Imperial Guards under his command.
Marquis Wen was originally Yan Shuzhe's superior, and he was supposed to be in temporary charge of the Imperial Army. Seeing that the King of Jin had surpassed him in recommending a new person, he felt extremely uneasy and quickly suggested that he first check the matter of the lost seal letter.
The emperor was deeply aware that this matter was fishy. Yan Shuzhe died suddenly at a young age, and the seal he carried with him disappeared. It was most likely that he was framed.
If the Ministry of Punishment is sent to Dali Temple to investigate, it will inevitably fall into the hands of the King of Jin, and it will be impossible to find out the truth.
The emperor pondered for a moment, then coughed slightly and said: "The command of the Imperial Guard is of great importance, and I leave it to King Qi."
Xiao Yuanhui and Marquis Wen looked at each other with fearful expressions.
A few months after Xiao Yuanmu returned to Beijing, he took over the guard army outside the city. It was already worrying, and he wanted to extend his hand into the forbidden army!
Xiao Yuanhui quickly retorted: "Your Majesty, Lao Qi has only been back to Beijing for a few months and is not skilled in prison matters. According to convention, the Dali Temple of the Ministry of Punishment should be responsible."
Marquis Wen also spoke up: "What the King of Jin said is absolutely true. If His Majesty sends a prince to supervise the matter, it would be most appropriate for the King of Jin to supervise the trial."
The two of them sang in harmony, and the emperor had already noticed it, and took a sip of tea with a half-smile.
"The King of Qi doesn't know how to judge cases, and he can do it by studying. From today on, the King of Qi is in charge of the Criminal Department, which is just and justified. The King of Jin is too busy with affairs and has to be in charge of the Yulin Army, so there is no need to worry too much about the Imperial Army."
After the emperor finished speaking, he immediately ordered someone to write an edict without giving Xiao Yuanhui any chance to refute.
Xiao Yuanhui's eyes flashed, and he glanced at Marquis Wen gently. Marquis Wen understood this and hurriedly bowed to play, but still said that this matter was inappropriate.
The emperor put down his tea cup and coughed heavily for a long time, then said slowly: "Until the seal is found, the Forbidden Army will be managed by Marquis Wen as usual, while I slowly consider the candidate for the new commander."
The power of commanding the imperial army was back in his hands. Marquis Wen was secretly happy and said nothing more.
Xiao Yuanhui was very unhappy when he saw the emperor exalting King Qi and belittling himself. Seeing that Marquis Wen was also attracted by the emperor, he felt even colder in his heart.
He bowed silently, his face neither sad nor happy, but his eyes were as cold as ice and filled with murderous intent.
The King of Qi Xiao Yuanmu on the side bowed to accept the order, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself when he saw that everyone was harboring evil intentions.
Several old foxes are vying for power and gain, but they don't know that the most important seal of the commander of the forbidden army is currently in his sleeve.
Xiao Yuanmu and a group of people rode in cars and horses and arrived at the Forbidden Army Commander's Mansion. The place was heavily guarded, and the onlookers were blocked a few streets away.
The Minister of Punishment, Dali Temple, had already arrived with his people, and the deputy commander of the Forbidden Army greeted him in uniform and in armor. They were all members of the King of Jin and had hid the evidence and witnesses early.
Xiao Yuanmu seemed to be deliberately looking for trouble. He held the saddle and asked, "I was ordered to investigate Yan Shuzhe's case. Where did he die?"
Yan Shuzhe was enjoying himself in Jilefang last night.
The deputy commander smiled awkwardly and said: "Second Young Master Yan passed away in the Jilefang Courtyard."
Xiao Yuanmu pretended not to know and shouted to the document he carried with him: "Yan Shuzhe died in Jilefang - recorded in the record!"
Behind him were dozens of guards, followed closely by a pony. There was an inconspicuous, thin clerk, wearing a turban on his head and quick boots on his feet. He took a volume and took notes as he went, not daring to miss a word.
Everyone walked a stone's throw westward and dismounted at the gate of Jilefang.
Xiao Yuanmu walked deliberately, holding the small document beside him, as if he were sightseeing in the mountains, with a playful smile on his face.
"Mr. Dali Temple, the Forbidden Army Courtyard is so gorgeously renovated. I have never seen the world, and I feel that the scenery is better than the inner garden of the palace!"
Ji Le Fang, a branch of the Forbidden Army, was built by occupying civilian land. The minister of Dali Temple heard the implication of his words and laughed quickly: "His Royal Highness, King Qi, is joking. Ji Le Fang is a territory belonging to the Forbidden Army and has been registered with the Ministry of War."
Xiao Yuanmu walked around the garden with his hands behind his back and said loudly: "Record: The Forbidden Army's Jilefang exceeds the limit!"
The small document followed every step, and the ink pen flew up and down.
The Minister of Dali Temple scolded him in his heart, but he had no choice but to offend him, so he could only smile and said: "Your Highness, finding out the seal of the commander of the Imperial Army is a top priority. There is no need to record minor things that exceed the regulations, right?"
Xiao Yuanmu paced with his hands behind his back and said nonchalantly: "If you don't want to remember it, then don't remember it. Cross out this sentence and remember the previous words clearly."
"Yes!" The little clerk made a mark on the paper, and wrote in small regular letters at the bottom: "The Minister of Dali Temple said: Don't record any small things that exceed the regulations."
The Minister of Dali Temple was so close that he could see clearly. The three gods were so angry that their faces turned red. They pointed at the small clerk and said angrily: "The humble post was recommended by King Jin. King Qi is so disrespectful. Could it be that he intends to quarrel with King Jin?" ?”
Xiao Yuanmu calmly blocked his hand, hugged the little clerk to his side, and said with a smile: "The minister of Dali Temple was not appointed by your Majesty, but recommended by Brother Jin Wang? I am disrespectful!"
The Minister of Dali Temple is a close confidant of the King of Jin. He is used to bullying others, but when he was caught in the wrong place, he immediately blushed and said helplessly: "The humble position is naturally assigned by your Majesty."
Xiao Yuanmu was so messy that he made the Dali Temple minister dumbfounded. The deputy commander knew that he was difficult to deal with, so he stood by his side and said nothing.
The small clerk holding the pen huddled next to Xiao Yuanmu, raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Xiao Yuanmu, making a face inadvertently.
Xiao Yuanmu was afraid that she would be recognized, so he quickly held down his headscarf.
"He" is exactly what Lutang is dressing up for.
Xiao Yuanmu held Lutang in his arms and deliberately traveled around. He visited more than half of Ji Le Fang, praising the scenery and people all the way.
Everyone was afraid that he would cause trouble, so they had no choice but to do nothing. His Royal Highness King Qi had enough of wandering around, so he ordered people to set up writing desk seats in the garden pavilion to serve as a court hall.
Xiao Yuanmu sat down with Ma Jindao in the middle, and ordered Lutang to sit next to him with a pen and paper. The minister and deputy chief of Dali Temple were accompanying him.
First, Yan Shuzhe's two personal entourage were sent to him. They didn't know what to ask. They pushed me and refused to speak.
The two of them were slaves of Yan's house, relying on Prime Minister Yan's house and Marquis Wen to have confidence.
The minister of Dali Temple and the deputy commander were watching the excitement on both sides, their faces full of pride.
Xiao Yuanmu knew that they colluded with each other and concealed the evil happenings in Jilefang like a copper wall, so he wanted to give them a blow first.
He stood up and took out a short-edged golden knife from his waist, handed it to Lutang's hand and said, "Stab each of these two bitches twice until I finish questioning you!"
The deputy governor hurriedly advised: "They are slaves of the Yan family. How can your highness kill people indiscriminately?"
Xiao Yuanmu sneered and said: "The master is dead and has lost all his seals. They don't know anything. What's the use of such slaves? Besides, when did I say that I want to kill people?" He then ordered Lutang: " Go, be gentle with your hands, don't kill me with two knives!"
Lutang suppressed a smile and stepped forward with the knife. However, the golden knife was too heavy, so he could only hold it up with both hands. The tip of the knife was pointed tremblingly at the heart of the person. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth before stabbing.
When the two evil slaves saw Xiao Yuanmu's foul play, they turned pale with fright and kowtowed, shouting: "You know, I know!" They scrambled to say, "Last night, Mr. Yan was drinking and watching singing and dancing. At three o'clock, the girl who was sleeping with him found out. He is dead, and the seal villain is really nowhere to be seen!"
Xiao Yuanmu first asked people to guard the two of them, and then ordered: "Call the girl who is sleeping with me!"
No one even shouted a few times. The minister and deputy of Dali Temple both murmured for a long time, and then reported back: "Your Highness, King Qi, that girl was so frightened that she went crazy and couldn't speak."
Xiao Yuanmu and Lu Tang looked at each other, knowing that they must have sealed their mouths in advance.
It was clear that Yan Shuzhe's death had nothing to do with them, but a group of bastards had a guilty conscience and insisted on making a loophole on their own!
Xiao Yuanmu slapped the table and yelled: "Why are you so crazy and stupid? Even if it turned into ashes, I packed it up and brought it up!"
After a quarter of an hour, a beautiful girl came down.
His hair was disheveled, his clothes were messy, and his face was haggard and crazy. There were many bloody scratches and scars on his face, and he was vomiting blood from his mouth and nose, which was extremely miserable.
No matter what others asked, she just kept mumbling.
Xiao Yuanmu winked, and Lutang hurriedly went to check, only to find that her tongue had been cut!
Lutang had seen many tongue-cutting and eye-gouging punishments in her previous life, and each time she was frightened. But looking at it again in this life, my heart is calm.
It seems that King Jin, Marquis Wen and Prime Minister Yan are not afraid of Yan Shuzhe's life or death, but more afraid that his death will involve the subsequent case!
Seeing this miserable situation, Xiao Yuanmu couldn't help but feel angry: "Since you can't ask for a testimony, don't blame me for being rude. It's a pity that Jilefang is full of exquisite wealth. Send soldiers from my palace into every room, and don't spare them. Search each room!"
After a while, I heard chaos in the backyard. A group of girls were crying and screaming, making a big fuss.
The Minister of Dali Temple had already made arrangements, so he naturally remained silent.
The deputy commander smiled and said: "Your Highness, King Qi, the girls here are registered camp prostitutes. If Your Highness likes it, I can send you a few. Jilefang is the territory of the Forbidden Army, and His Highness's soldiers cannot mess around."
Xiao Yuanmu smiled and said: "I have been leading the army for several years, and this is the first time I heard that the imperial guards in the capital dared to camp with prostitutes! Write down all the words of the deputy commander!"
The deputy commander, Zi Zhi, was an old confidant of the King of Jin, and the Imperial Army was under the command of Marquis Wen. His face darkened and he said with a smile: "Your Highness has been at the border for a long time and does not know about the affairs of the capital and the imperial court. Why should Your Highness be too strict about hiding such a small matter?" It’s hard for the people below to stay!”
Xiao Yuanmu threw the golden knife from his waist to the table and said coldly: "Your imperial army is in the center, and I don't know what life is like on the frontier! Since you are hiding it, you will take it out today to give me a long life." experience!"
After saying that, he immediately called all the women in Ji Lefang for interrogation.
The guards pushed and shoved, only to see dozens of warblers and swallows rushing over, crying and screaming. They knelt down all over the courtyard, crying and shouting: "The slaves don't know anything!"
The whole courtyard was noisy like a toad pit, and Lutang couldn't help but frown: These girls have been coerced by them for several years, how dare they reveal the truth?
Xiao Yuanmu pointed down casually and ordered Lutang: "Record these girls' names, ages, places of origin, parents' names, hometowns, and addresses!"
Lutang knew what he meant and quickly nodded in agreement.
Unexpectedly, when the next person was called, he only mentioned his name and age, and said he had forgotten his last name, hometown, and other places.
I called another one, but I only remembered the name, not even the age. The next time I cry, I don't remember anything, I just cry.
The question was so urgent that the girls rolled around on the floor and made a fuss.
The minister of Dali Temple and the deputy commander were quite proud and said with a smile: "His Royal Highness, they are making trouble, please call them down first."
When she was in a hurry, Lutang saw four old mothers standing in the corner of the garden. They were dressed as bustards and were leading the family. They were all fat and fat, with sinister eyes.
When the girls looked at them, they were all frightened out of their wits. They were obviously frightened.
Lutang stared at the target, tugged on Xiao Yuanmu's sleeve, and quietly winked.
Xiao Yuanmu understood and ordered the four madams to be brought up, and asked sternly: "What was the name of the mute girl who slept with me last night? Where did she buy it from?"
The four of them had already been warned not to talk nonsense, and hurriedly kowtowed: "I only serve the girls in daily life, and I don't know anything about their background."
Xiao Yuanmu saw that her clever words and answers were wrong, and he sneered: "Since you don't know anything, what are you doing with your tongues? Come on! Pull out the tongues of all four of them!"
