There is drizzle falling outside the window, and the teapot cooking inside the window is slowly steaming, elegance and tranquility complement each other.
Xu Zhihuai's long hair is lightly tied, and he has not put on any makeup. His dark eyebrows and quiet expression are like the light and freshness of ink painting. The poison on her body was detoxified, and she lost a bit of weight. Thanks to the decoction she took every day, some color returned to her face.
Zhu Xuxing stayed up all night and looked tired.
There was still some time before noon, so he summoned Yue Yichuan and Wei Li to drink tea and discuss matters together.
Huainan County is only a hundred miles away from Huaizhou City. Zhu Suxing had the idea of going there in person, but Yue Yichuan immediately stopped him. There has always been peace in Huainan, and bandits often make trouble on the nearby Guandao Township road. They burn, kill, and plunder, and do all kinds of evil.
Seeing that Wei Li had remained silent, Yue Yichuan frowned slightly and took the initiative to point him out: "Why don't you go."
Wei Li still didn't speak.
His unusual silence caught Zhu Xiuxing's attention.
"You came to Huaizhou earlier. What did you find out?"
"Your Highness, although Xie Junhao is a fool, not all of the Xie family are stupid. It's not that there is no evidence, it's just that it's difficult to find a witness with enough weight. Of course, if Your Highness wants me to do something, with my means, I can definitely do it. Xie Junhao cannot see the sun at noon today."
Zhu Xuxing shook his head: "Don't kill him or touch him first."
Wei Li smiled: "I obey."
After saying that, he looked at Yue Yichuan lightly, seeming to be provocative.
A few steps away, Xu Zhihuai had been paying attention to their conversation and found the most suitable moment to bring the tea bowl.
When Zhu Xuxing saw her coming, a warm smile immediately appeared on his face.
Wei Li also glanced at her hastily, with a touch of disdain in his eyes.
She was really tough and looked like she was fine.
The stuffy moisture and the hot charcoal fire ripened her red and fragrant face, like a ripe peach, very attractive.
Zhu Xuxing tasted her tea and sighed with satisfaction.
Wei Li also lowered his head and looked at the tea in the cup. The tea soup was green, clear and bright, just the osmanthus oolong that His Highness liked.
When Zhu Xuxing saw Xu Zhihuai turning around to leave, he called softly: "Come here."
Xu Zhihuai was slightly surprised and flattered: "Your Highness and the adults have important matters to discuss, I still..."
"Come and sit."
Zhu Xuxing interrupted her easily, with a solemn and gentle tone.
Xu Zhihuai was obedient, a little puzzled and a little expectant.
She sat down steadily, and the person opposite happened to be Wei Li. The two people's eyes briefly touched, and Wei Li curled her lips into a smile, full of sarcasm. The four of them sat in four corners, looking casual and relaxed in a way that broke the etiquette of hierarchy, but in fact they all had their own thoughts and plans.
"We came here together and have seen many important events of life and death. This place is not like the palace, and there are no need for so many complicated rules."
Zhu Xuxing looked at Xu Zhihuai, who had his eyes downcast, and said loudly: "You have always been thoughtful, do you have any ideas?"
For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on her.
Xu Zhihuai pretended to be surprised and adjusted his breathing: "Your Highness...how dare I arbitrarily discuss important matters of the imperial court."
"I like hearing what you say."
Zhu Xiuxing did not shy away from anything and was straightforward.
Yue Yichuan frowned and said nothing, while Wei Li curled his lips and sneered.
Xu Zhihuai was wondering about the prince's true intentions, wondering if he had something to say through her mouth. So he stopped pretending to be stupid and weak, and said quietly: "In fact, the most reliable witness and the most suspicious witness in the Huainan case is actually Mr. Xu."
As soon as he said this, Yue Yichuan took a deep breath in disbelief, and then glanced at him as if he was looking at a fool who didn't know how to live or die.
Zhu Xuxing was very patient: "Xu Zhigao is dead."
Xu Zhihuai nodded lightly: "Master Xu is no longer here, but maybe the people he trusted are still there, and his loyal family and friends are still there."
She did get to the point.
Wei Li sarcastically said: "You are so thoughtful, girl. It's a pity that Xu Zhigao's family members are dead and gone. Their whereabouts are unknown a long time ago."
When Xu Zhihuai heard this, he said softly: "So they are in danger." After saying this, he looked regretful and sad.
"Innocent people did not die in vain."
Zhu Xuxing looked at Wei Li: "Aren't you very good at digging secrets out of dead people's mouths? Why can't you do it this time?"
"You want to see people alive, you want to see corpses when dead, but they didn't leave anything behind. There are only a few strokes in the file, not all details, but full of manipulations."
The most difficult thing to check is whether you can see people alive or dead but not corpses.
Xu Zhihuai could imagine how ruthless those people were: "Huainan... Mr. Yue said that Huainan has been in chaos for a long time. Maybe there are clues there." She blinked and looked at Zhu Xuxing: "Don't you think so, Your Highness? Mr. Xu did something in Huainan Having been an official for such a long time, the place he knows best is Huainan. He is determined to expose the Xie family and will not leave a way out for himself, so may those evidences still exist in the world? "
This idea coincided with what Zhu Xuxing was thinking. He smiled and said, "You are really thoughtful. It's just that I still have a lot of things to do in Huaizhou and I can't leave to go to Huainan."
Yue Yichuan took the initiative and said: "Your Highness, why don't you let me go for a while?"
Zhu Xuxing shook his head gently.
Wei Li took advantage of the situation and answered: "Huainan is a small place, and any new faces that suddenly appear are suspicious. You are also a full-fledged official, and it is easy to be exposed. Let the spies investigate, and there will be news soon."
Yue Yichuan asked: "How fast is soon?"
"Three days at the earliest and ten days at the latest."
Yue Yichuan looked at Zhu Xuxing's face and waited for him to speak.
Zhu Xuxing said calmly: "It's useless to rush some things. Collecting intelligence has always been your ability. Aren't we traveling thousands of miles just to get a fair result?"
There was a public trial at Zishi, and the three parties confronted each other.
After interrogating from day to night, nothing was found.
Those witnesses were either submissive or trembling, and their confessions were inconsistent and confusing, and they would be different every time they were asked.
Zhu Xuxing listened patiently for a long time, his face became more and more gloomy, and finally he couldn't bear it anymore and walked away.
Late at night.
Xu Zhihuai lit a candle and waited quietly.
Seeing that he was back, Yingying hurriedly stepped forward.
Zhu Xuxing's phoenix eyes were slightly lowered. The candlelight elongated his figure and illuminated his fatigue.
"Your Highness, your eyes are a little red. It must be caused by staying up late."
Xu Zhihuai gently held his face, stroking it while feeling distressed.
Zhu Xuxing sighed deeply, held her pink wrist and brought it to his mouth to kiss gently. The faint fragrance on her wrist made him feel very comfortable.
Xu Zhihuai leaned over and hugged him tightly.
"Your Highness, did everything go well this afternoon?"
Xu Zhihuai carefully considered his words.
"What an afternoon wasted."
Xu Zhihuai frowned: "This Master Xie has gone too far."
Zhu Xuxing smiled sadly, patted her face and said, "Behind him is the Xie family."
"Then...does His Highness want to continue the trial?"
Zhu Xuxing nodded meaningfully: "There is still a trial. Even if nothing can be found, we cannot sit idly by. My father will not let the Xie family's decades of dignity be ruined, and neither will I."
