At midnight, the gates of the capital were tightly shut. Other than some special places in the city that still had their lights on, the entire capital was plunged into darkness and silence.
In the Viscount's Mansion, all the maids and servants were already asleep. The guards in the mansion were also not on patrol. Two burly men stood at the door of a small courtyard, their expressions unusually serious.
In a room in the courtyard, it was slightly crowded.
"The news has already spread throughout the capital. It shouldn't be false …"
"Since then, there has been no more news from the palace. I'm afraid that His Excellency has been kept in the palace."
"The palace is heavily guarded, and there are countless skilled fighters. It is impossible to force our way in. Right now, no one knows the situation in the palace. However, after tomorrow's morning court session, everything will be clear."
"As long as His Excellency leaves the palace, even if he is locked up in the Ministry of Justice's prison, it is not impossible for us to succeed. However, after rescuing His Excellency, we can no longer stay in the capital. We have to leave immediately … The water route is perfect. However, before that, we have to make some other arrangements …"
…
…
The thin middle-aged man thought for a moment and spoke again. "Everything depends on tomorrow. Right now, there is no need to be too anxious. Although the King of Shu's status is extraordinary, this matter also involves the Crown Prince of King Ning. Even the current Emperor must consider King Ning. This matter will definitely be the focus of tomorrow's morning court session. What we need to do now is to wait …"
"Wait my ass! We don't even know how His Excellency is doing in the palace!" Fang slammed the table and said angrily.
Lu Luo glanced at him and said, "This matter is of great importance. If we are not careful, we will be doomed eternally. Brother Fang, please calm down first. Otherwise, not only will we not be able to rescue His Excellency, but we will also lose our lives in vain."
Fang clenched his fists tightly and breathed heavily. The veins on his forehead bulged, but in the end, he did not speak again.
Other than the brothers Lu Luo and Lu Mang, everyone else in the room was from the original Willow Leaf Stockade that had moved to the capital with Lao Fang from Qing 'an Prefecture. Many of them were even more hot-tempered than Lao Fang, but the situation this time was unusual. Everyone was unusually quiet.
Not long after, the door opened and everyone dispersed. Ruyi walked out of the courtyard and took two steps toward the courtyard next door. Suddenly, a voice came from the courtyard.
"Ah, this old man has such a busy life. You all should go and rest. I'll take a nap and go there tomorrow morning to have a look …"
"Thank you, Second Uncle." Ruyi heaved a long sigh of relief. She closed the courtyard door and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Miss.Liu leaned against the stone table with her sword in her arms and said, "I'll wait at the palace gate tomorrow morning."
Ru Yi nodded. That was probably the place where she could get the news the fastest. Although she wanted to go there herself, if the situation changed, she needed to make more preparations. She had to think about their future from now on.
"Remember to stay calm when you're in trouble. Don't be reckless." She reminded. Miss.Liu did not respond and walked back to her room.
Xiao Huan stood at the door with panic and helplessness on her face. Ruyi walked over and hugged her gently. She whispered in her ear, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Now go to sleep."
…
…
It was a silent night.
No one knew what had happened in the mansion, but everyone felt strange. The maids and servants who had woken up early in the morning felt it the most.
Second Miss went out before dawn. Madam and Miss Xiao Huan also left by car. Even the families outside the mansion did not open their doors. It seemed that there were a lot less people in the mansion.
Especially when the sun rose, the old man had not moved the strange chair out to bask in the sun, which made the servants in the mansion even more confused.
They thought that Lord Jue did not come back yesterday, and Madam went out early in the morning. So many people were not here. Did she bring people to catch …
They thought of a possibility and immediately drove it out of their minds. This was the master's business. Not participating in the master's business was the first rule that servants in a big family should abide by.
Today, the Viscount's Mansion seemed to be more peaceful, but the court was in an uproar.
The Qi Kingdom's redemption of the city and the crown prince gradually faded from the attention of the officials. Another matter was put on the desk.
Emperor Jing glanced at the thick stack of memorials to impeach Li Yi, the County Magistrate of Chang 'an. He casually flipped through a few and lost interest. He said, "What do you think about this matter? Tell me."
"Your Majesty, Li Yi, the Prince of Chang 'an County, beat the Prince of the Imperial Palace under the watchful eyes of the public. This kind of behavior is too bad. If we don't punish him severely, where will the dignity of the royal family and Your Majesty be?" A middle-aged official stood up and said righteously.
This person was the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites. In addition to being in charge of education and diplomatic affairs, the Ministry of Rites was also responsible for maintaining everything related to the laws and regulations of the country.
Of course, there was a more important reason why the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites stood out.
His surname was Chen, and Marquess Chen's Mansion had always been close to the King of Shu. When such a thing happened, he would definitely stand on the side of the King of Shu.
"Assistant Minister Chen is right. The County Magistrate of Chang 'an, Li Yi, offended his superior and seriously injured the King of Shu in front of the officials. He must be severely punished!" Another official stood out and said.
"Assistant Minister Chen and Lord Wu are right!"
"The County Magistrate of Chang 'an must be severely punished!"
"I agree!"
…
…
As soon as he stood out, several more people agreed and seconded his opinion.
The censors in the imperial court were very free today. The impeachment was actually their business, and the officials had always stood against them. However, today, all the officials were surprisingly unified. One after another, they rushed to express their opinions. They had no chance to speak at all.
Of course, as the Supervising Censor, Heir Li Xuan was also one of the main characters in the fight. The Censorate still cared about their reputation. If they didn't have to say anything today, they wouldn't say anything. If someone pointed out this matter, where would they hide their face?
Today's matter was not like other debates about the crown prince or other matters, where the officials had different opinions and could not wait to fight. Today, everyone who stood out condemned the County Magistrate of Chang 'an, County Magistrate Li Yi. The general meaning was that Li Yi was lawless and offended his superior. He had beaten up a prince in the palace in front of so many people. This was a vile act that had not happened in the past decades. The main culprit was Li Yi. If he did not kill him, the people would not be appeased. If he did not kill him, the people would not be appeased.
In the process, they also emphasized the miserable state of the King of Shu. If the King of Shu had not been so seriously injured, they might have carried him here for everyone to see. They would definitely be able to gain enough allies.
In contrast to these people, the old generals were all dozing off in the court. Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Li Mingze, had a calm expression from beginning to end and did not say a word.
At this moment, a young censor stood out. One of the officials of Prime Minister Qin, who was about to go up, stopped in his tracks.
This censor, named Song Lang, had been appreciated by His Majesty a few days ago. His words would definitely carry more weight.
"Your Majesty, I impeach the supervisor of Gyeonggi Province, Li Xuan. As a censor, he did not fulfill his duty as a censor. He knowingly broke the law and beat up a prince together with the County Magistrate of Chang 'an. He should be punished with the same punishment … Your Majesty, please make a decision."
After Song Lang finished speaking, he stood there quietly. The voices in the court suddenly became much quieter.
Several officials of the censor felt their hearts skip a beat at the same time. They secretly cursed Song Lang in their hearts. How could this matter be mentioned in the court?
Prince Ning only had one son. If he was really "punished with the same punishment", it would not take long for the censor's office to be demolished!
Wasn't Prime Minister Qin's position high enough?
The officials of Prime Minister Qin's faction were usually arrogant enough in the court, right?
But none of them mentioned the matter of Crown Prince Li Xuan just now. It was not because they had forgotten, but because they did not dare to!
Not only were the censors cursing Song Lang in their hearts, but the official who wanted to severely punish Li Yi also had a dark expression on his face.
This rash young man was really touching the pot that shouldn't be boiled. Originally, everyone was well aware of this matter. But after he made such a fuss, it had to be put on the table.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was the first to speak, braced himself again and said, "It is obvious to all that Li Yi, the County Magistrate of Chang 'an, is the culprit of this matter. Crown Prince Li Xuan may have been bewitched by him. Moreover, he did not cause much harm to His Highness, the King of Shu."
The young censor Song Lang's words caused a sudden change in the court. From wanting to convict Li Yi, the County Magistrate of Chang 'an, to wanting to exonerate Li Xuan, the Crown Prince of Prince Ning, this made all the officials secretly despise him.
A young official looked at the officials in the court who were intimidated by Ning Wang's power and were able to say such words that went against their will without blushing or panting. He sighed and was disappointed. So what if he was Ning Wang? Could he be more powerful than the Emperor, more powerful than the laws of the country?
Thinking of his ten years of hard work and his lofty ideals of doing his best to serve the country, a trace of determination appeared on the young official's face. He strode forward and spoke his own voice.
"I second the motion!"
…
…
Looking at the performance of countless officials in the court, Emperor Jing finally waved his hand. A eunuch took out a booklet from his sleeve and walked down. He handed it to Prime Minister Shen and Prime Minister Qin, who were standing in front of the officials and had not spoken a word.
Since ancient times, the left was the most respected. Therefore, between the left and right Prime Ministers, although Prime Minister Qin was the most powerful in the court, Prime Minister Shen's status was higher.
Prime Minister Shen took the booklet and opened it with a puzzled look. After a while, his expression became a little strange and he handed the booklet to Prime Minister Qin.
Seeing the expression on Prime Minister Shen's face, Prime Minister Qin could not help but have a bad premonition. He took the booklet and looked at it.
After a while, when the booklet was handed out from Prime Minister Qin's hand, his expression also began to become a little ugly.
As this booklet was circulated among the officials, the sound of exclamations and gasps could be heard in the hall. The officials all had different expressions. Gradually, the court became strangely quiet.
Many officials looked at Prime Minister Qin and the officials who were close to the King of Shu. Although they did not say it explicitly, the meaning was self-evident.
As an adult prince, he actually took the initiative to bully a young and stupid princess. When His Majesty was seriously ill, not only did he not stay in the palace to fulfill his filial duties, but he also held a banquet in his mansion. Thinking of the King of Shu's previous actions — Prime Minister Qin, tell me, what kind of person do you want to help ascend the throne?
If someone with such a temperament became the Emperor, many officials felt that their lives would be greatly threatened.
This was only one point in the booklet.
In addition, what about the intermittent hysteria of the Prince of Chang 'an County?
This booklet was sent from His Majesty, so there was no doubt about its authenticity. With the testimony of the Imperial Physician Bureau, the illness of the Prince of Chang 'an County should not be fake — the Prince of Chang' an County was actually suffering from hysteria. No one had ever known about this before. But in this way, the mystery in everyone's hearts was finally explained.
No wonder he would do such a thing. Except for a lunatic, how could a normal person beat a prince in the palace in front of the civil and military officials?
Heir Li Xuan had always been close to him. Could it be that he was infected by Li Xuan?
However, beating a prince was beating a prince. Hysteria was not a reason to beat a prince. Although the punishment could be reduced according to the circumstances, the King of Shu had been injured to such a degree. If it was lightly mentioned, how could the royal family save face?
But — how could the silly Princess Yong Ning suddenly be cured by him?
Everyone in the court knew about Princess Yong Ning's illness. A year ago, in order to cure Princess Yong Ning's soullessness, His Majesty ordered to search for famous doctors all over the world. He even promised a generous reward. The reward was so generous that anyone would be tempted. But unfortunately, even the Imperial Physician Bureau thought that the Princess's illness was incurable. Countless famous doctors could not do anything about it. After a long time, the matter was left unsettled.
But things in the world were so unexpected.
The King of Shu was beaten, and Princess Yong Ning's terminal illness was cured. All of this was done by one person. Was it a reward or a punishment? Was it praise or scolding? The water had been muddled by the Heir of Prince Ning. Now it undoubtedly became complicated. In the court, no one dared to interrupt.
The strange silence lasted for a long time. Emperor Jing waved his hand. An official took out the prepared imperial edict and began to read it.
…
…
Li Yi yawned. When he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar old face.
It was a very comfortable sleep. Li Yi sat up and tried to distance himself from Chang De's old face. He said, "It's so early in the morning. Is there anything I can help you with, Chief Steward Chang?"
"County Magistrate Li, it's time for you to leave the palace." Chang De was expressionless and said lightly.
A palace maid had already brought the toiletries. After washing up, Li Yi stepped out of the hall. There was a warm breeze outside and the sun was shining brightly.
"How did you cure Princess Yong Ning?" Li Yi turned around and saw Chang De standing in the hall looking at him.
"Before I answer this question, can I ask Chief Steward Chang a question?" Li Yi crossed his arms and looked at him.
"Speak," Chang De said lightly.
"Do you know the Sunflower Manual?" Li Yi looked at him and asked with great interest.
…
…
When Li Yi walked briskly out of the palace, Chang De, who was standing at the entrance of a palace and muttering the words "Sunflower Manual," seemed to feel something. He suddenly turned his head and looked in a certain direction. He looked at the empty hall. The confusion on his face lasted for a moment before he slowly withdrew his gaze.
At the same time, the manager of the catering department looked at the rows of servants with a gloomy expression. He said angrily, "Speak! Who stole the white cut chicken that His Highness Prince Jin asked for!"
The people of a certain street in the capital were surprised to find that a smoothie shop that had been very popular recently was not open. They paced around the entrance for a moment before leaving with some regret.
In the backyard of the shop, the woman in white had a calm expression. A few sturdy figures sat there and looked in the direction of the palace. The atmosphere was extremely tense …
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