Zhao prison.
Li Shimian was lying on the ground half-dead, his face swollen like a pig's head, and he had obviously been beaten badly.
"Stop pretending to be dead and get up and answer the question."
Li Shimian still didn't respond.
Li Qing stepped forward and kicked him.
Li Shimian: ┗|｀o′|┛Ouch~~
"Get up and talk!"
"Yongqing...Master Hou," Li Shimian said miserably, "My bones are all broken, I really can't get up!"
"Bang——!"
"Ah...! I'm getting up, I'm getting up..." Li Shimian struggled to sit up, leaning against the wall with a face full of pain, "I've seen Marquis Yongqing."
Li Qing turned around and sat back on the chair, "Let me ask you, who ordered you to curse the emperor?"
"No one ordered it."
Li Qing stood up and approached Li Shimian step by step.
"Hey, hey, don't come over!" Li Shi cried like a frightened little daughter-in-law, "I, I... what I said is all the truth."
"Bang——!"
"Ah...!" Li Shimian screamed, "Master Hou, please spare my life, please spare my life!"
Li Qing ignored him and kicked him again.
"I said, Master Hou, listen to me."
Li Qing returned to the chair and said calmly: "This is your last chance."
"Ming...understand." Li Shimian breathed heavily, with beads of sweat covering his forehead.
His pain was really not fake. That night, he scolded Xiaopang so much that he almost escaped being beaten to death by the Ouchi guards. Three of his ribs were broken.
"Master Marquis, can you let the rest of the crowd leave?"
Li Qing glanced at the jury and raised his chin slightly.
The latter cupped his hands and turned to leave.
"Say it!"
"I have one more request," Li Shimian said.
Li Qing narrowed his eyes and sneered: "You're useless even if I give you a chance."
"Master Hou, listen to me, listen to me..." Li Shimian spoke very quickly, "If I tell the truth, my family will definitely be in danger. I have my own reasons."
"Do you think your family can be saved if you don't say anything?" Li Qing asked.
"...I can't keep it." Li Shimian smiled bitterly and shook his head, "But I can win a good reputation, right? If you don't agree, I won't let go even if you die."
"..." This was the first time that Li Qing saw such a shameless person, risking his family's life to gain his reputation.
Oh, yes, there is also Fang Xiaoru.
Li Qing took a deep breath and said, "Let's talk about it."
"You have to promise that I died for remonstration." Li Shimian was not stupid. He knew that he would not survive, so he chose to leave his name in Qingshi.
"You are so shameless." Li Qing's eyes were disgusted. He thought that this guy would plead for his family, but he never thought that it was because of this. "Okay."
"Huang Fu, Minister of Industry, ordered me to do this." Li Shimian said.
Li Qing said in a deep voice: "Who else?"
"Gone."
"Where's Yang Rong?" Li Qing said, "As far as I know, you two have a good relationship. After you were released from prison last time, it was because of his recommendation that you were reinstated. And Jin Youzi, you are fellow villagers, and they Did you participate?"
"No," Li Shimian shook his head. Seeing that Li Qing didn't believe it, he added, "At least they haven't looked for me. I'm just a small Imperial Academy student. How could so many people look for me?"
"Where is the Metropolitan Procuratorate?" Li Qing asked again.
Li Shimian shook his head, "They haven't looked for me either, but... I heard Huang Fu vaguely say that the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Sixth Department are now on the same team."
Li Qing frowned and analyzed the context from Li Shimian's words.
Judging from the united front between the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the six ministries, the cabinet was completely defeated in this ministerial dispute, otherwise the Metropolitan Procuratorate would never have defected.
Xiaopang clearly supports the cabinet and wants to promote the cabinet. With this, the suspicion of the cabinet is eliminated.
Without him, the cabinet will not oppose an emperor who supports them and promotes them. Although they lost this time in the fight for power, they cannot blame the emperor, because the emperor also has to abide by the rules.
This is not the case with the Six Ministries. They will not allow the cabinet to grow. After all, in a sense, the cabinet system is similar to the prime minister.
After Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister system, the status and power of the Six Ministries increased. Although it was not reflected under the rule of the two emperors Hongwu and Yongle, but with their passing, the Six Ministries also came to the fore.
At this moment, a cabinet suddenly appears to grab the fruit. How can they do it?
In the eyes of the Six Ministries, the cabinet can just be the emperor's secretary, but it still wants to challenge the Six Ministries in court?
You can be sure that this was done by the Sixth Department!
Whether Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji were involved... Li Qing's face was uncertain.
Li Shimian couldn't see the change in Li Qing's expression, but when he saw that he didn't say anything, he felt a little panicked, "Master Marquis, I've already told you, you have to keep your word!"
Li Qing came back to his senses and said disdainfully: "Are you not worried about your family at all?"
"Even if the court lets my family go, those people won't let them go either." Li Shimian said bitterly, "I thought it would be perfect, but who would have thought... the prince is back."
Li Qing frowned and said, "Huang Fu sent someone to report the letter to you?"
Li Shimian nodded: "He bribed a jailer, I just found out."
…
noon.
Li Shimian was sentenced to death for being disrespectful to the emperor!
Li Qing's speed in closing the case was staggering, but it also reassured some people to a large extent.
The main reason is that when Li Shimian was beheaded, he still had a tough expression and there were no signs of torture on his body.
They believed that Li Shimian did not confess, which invisibly saved Li Shimian's family.
~
Qianqing Palace.
Xiaopang has woken up and is in good spirits. Zhu Zhanji is waiting by the side, chatting with his father to relieve his boredom.
Seeing Li Qing come in, the two stopped chatting, and Zhu Zhanji asked, "Did you come out of the trial?"
"Huang Fu, Minister of the Ministry of Industry."
"anything else?"
"Obviously, only this one was found." Li Qing briefly told the story.
Zhu Zhanji said disappointedly: "The edict was changed. The person who tampered with the edict was not found out?"
"This is not difficult." Xiaopang said: "With Huang Fu's big thread, just pull it out and you can pull it all out."
Zhu Zhanji thought the same thing, "Then just arrest them!"
"We can't arrest him yet." Li Qing said: "It is still unknown how many people are involved in the Six Departments. It is inevitable that some people will be missed if we take action. Also, the Metropolitan Procuratorate has also taken refuge in the Six Departments. It is also unknown whether they are involved. ;
I closed the case so quickly just to reassure them so as not to alert others. "
Zhu Zhanji scratched his head and was no longer impatient.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling uncomfortable?" Li Qing stepped forward and asked.
"Fortunately, it's much better than the past few days." Xiaopang smiled and added, "So, the cabinet's disapproval has been eliminated. I haven't dealt with government affairs for several days in a row. It's not a problem that the government affairs have been backlogged. Tomorrow we have to go to court to govern, and the migration of a large number of people is also accompanied by many problems;
These matters cannot be delayed and must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise the people will be in trouble. "
"Father, it's important for you to take good care of yourself. I will help you with these things." After saying that, realizing that there was something wrong with his words, Zhu Zhanji added, "I just want to relieve my father's worries."
"Hi~ No need to explain, it will be passed to you soon anyway." Xiaopang waved his hand, "But it's time for you to officially get involved in government affairs. Come with me tomorrow."
"My son, I obey the order." Zhu Zhanji responded with his hands in hand.
Xiaopang thought for a while and looked at Li Qing: "It's better to resolve this matter as soon as possible. We must do it quickly and simply, 'handle it with care'. After all... the transfer of power is not far away. The best policy is to settle it as soon as possible. Don't let it go Make things big."
Li Qing was startled and nodded silently.
…
Yongqinghou Mansion.
When Li Qing arrived at the door of his house, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to bring back the gift he had promised before, so he turned around and went to the store to buy three more gifts before entering the mansion.
"I'm back!"
As soon as he entered the backyard, Li Qing shouted.
After a while, Wan Ling walked out of the room and saw him, unable to suppress the happiness on her face.
"Sir, you really did keep your promise and came back in less than half a year." Wan Ling stepped forward with a smile and reached out to receive the gift box.
"I'll carry it, it's very heavy." Li Qing asked with a smile, "Where is Hongxiu Lianxiang?"
"Napping."
"Why don't you sleep?"
Wan Ling said sarcastically: "I'm not sleepy."
Li Qing knew that this girl was probably working as a female celebrity, but he didn't say anything about her.
Sometimes, giving is also a kind of happiness. If she likes it, let her do it.
~
Li Qing traveled under the stars and nights for several days in a row. He didn't sleep a wink for two days and one night. He didn't even take a shower, so he lay on the bed and fell asleep. When he woke up again, it was already midnight.
When he opened his eyes, the three women were beside him, none of them asleep.
The bright moonlight shines in and shines on her profile. After not seeing each other for half a year, they are getting older.
"Sir, you're awake." Hongxiu stood up, "The food is cold, I'll go and heat it up."
"No, it feels good to eat cold today." Li Qing stretched and sat up, "It's so late, you all should go to bed."
Hongxiu said with a smile: "This man, even as he gets older, he sleeps less."
Wan Ling and Lian Xiang nodded.
Li Qing leaned over and put on his shoes, hiding the negative emotions on his face. After a while, he raised his head and said with a smile: "Then you guys should eat something and chat."
"okay."
There was good wine and good food, and Li Qing was obviously very hungry, but had no appetite.
"Sir, I bought you a gift. Please open it and take a look." Li Qing pointed to the package on the side.
Wan Ling got up and took the package, put it on the table and opened it. It was a fine jade hairpin, well made and beautiful.
Li Qing meant well, but he ignored that they were no longer needed.
No matter how beautiful a woman is, she can't escape the erosion of time. Yesterday's green hair is now snow, how can a hosta make up for it.
"It's so beautiful." Wan Ling picked up one, her eyes blurred, and she thought to herself: If it had been decades ago, it would have been a perfect match.
Hongxiu and Lianxiang also picked up one each and said with a smile: "Sir, your taste is as good as ever."
"Haha..." Li Qing smiled, "I also bought your favorite osmanthus cake, but it's not good to eat sweets at night. You can eat it tomorrow. Do you want to listen to a story?"
"OK."
~
They didn't talk much, they just listened to what Li Qing was saying. They only occasionally exclaimed in surprise, and most of the time they looked at Li Qing tenderly.
After more than half an hour, Li Qing saw that the tiredness could not be hidden on the faces of the three women. Li Qing smiled and said, "Let's all go to bed. Sir, there are many stories here."
The three women nodded reluctantly, lay back on the bed, and fell asleep soon after.
Li Qing stayed in the room for a while, put on his mask, put on his dark robe and went out.
With a cold light in his eyes, he went straight to the residence of Huang Fu, Minister of the Ministry of Industry...
