"That's impossible!"
Xie Lanqing was the first to react. He hurriedly stood up. "How can I let my son be an assassin?! Your Majesty is wise! "
"Oh." Pei Wenxuan saw Xie Lanqing stand up and immediately smiled. "Lord Xie's health is not bad. You can stand up just like that?"
"Prince Consort, you must be joking." Li Rong looked back at Pei Wenxuan. "Lord Xie injured his stomach, not his leg. How can he not stand up just like that? Lord Xie, don't be anxious. Listen to me slowly. "
As Li Rong spoke, he lifted Lin Feibai's face with his fan and said to everyone, "Everyone, take a closer look. Isn't this young master somewhat similar to Lord Xie's?"
No one dared to speak. Li Ming looked around seriously and found that Lin Feibai's eyes were indeed the same as Xie Lanqing's.
When Xie Lanqing was young, he was also a famous handsome man in Huajing. Now that he was old, his appearance couldn't be seen. But with Li Rong's reminder, everyone thought about Xie Lanqing's young appearance and carefully looked at Lin Feibai. For a moment, they didn't dare to speak.
"Your Highness, is it because of this that you said that this assassin and Minister Xie are father and son?"
Su Yongqing suddenly spoke. Li Rong was a little surprised. She didn't expect Su Yongqing to interrupt at this time. She turned around and met Su Yongqing's gaze.
Su Yongqing's gaze was very cold. He seemed to be trying his best to restrain something. His cold eyes were like whirlpools, hiding all kinds of emotions. Li Rong couldn't help but pause on those eyes for a moment. It wasn't until Pei Wenxuan coughed lightly that she reacted and smiled. "Of course it's not just because of this. This matter started from the assassination of the Prince Consort more than half a month ago. "
"The year the Prince Consort was assassinated, the Deputy Chief Su Ronghua had some conflicts with me. He suspected that the other Deputy Chief, Shangguan, was torturing Chen Guang. That day, I personally interrogated Chen Guang under Deputy Chief Su's supervision. After Chen Guang confessed, I received a threatening kite with the word 'stop' written in cinnabar. That afternoon, someone assassinated the Prince Consort. They injured the Prince Consort, but there was no poison on the knife. It was obvious that they were just trying to scare me. I felt very uneasy, so I ordered people to investigate. "
As Li Rong spoke, he waved his hand and Shangguan Ya came forward with the kite he had received. He respectfully took it and said, "This humble subject was ordered by Your Highness to thoroughly investigate this item. This humble subject discovered that the cinnabar used on the kite came from Huiming Pavilion, a brush and ink shop in the capital that sells to the nobles. This humble subject looked at Huiming Pavilion's accounts for the past six months and discovered that after the purchase, there are still twenty households left. Among them is the Xie Family."
"But Lord Xie has nothing to do with this case." Li Rong continued, "So I didn't think that it was Lord Xie." These people obviously don't want me to investigate the things in my hands, especially Chen Guang. But my conscience made me disregard life and death, so I could only grit my teeth and persist. But as the days passed, I became more and more uneasy, so I decided to lure the snake out of its hole. I deliberately went out with the Prince Consort and released the news. Then, I set up an ambush in Butterfly Gorge and used myself as bait to capture a group of assassins alive, including this young master, Lin Feibai. "
Li Rong stopped beside Lin Feibai. Everyone looked at Lin Feibai. Li Rong calmly said, "After investigation, I learned that Lin Feibai is the Deputy Chief of the Seven Stars Hall, the number one assassin organization in the pugilistic world. The Seven Stars Hall has always been undefeated in the pugilistic world, but in order to protect themselves and long-term development, they never make a move against the powerful." "I'm afraid it's impossible for the Chen family to invite Hall Master Lin over with their ability. So I began to suspect that there was someone else behind the Chen family." "At this time, I interrogated Hall Master Lin and found something on him."
As he spoke, Li Rong squatted down and pressed the corner of Lin Feibai's clothes with his fan. Lin Feibai hurriedly grabbed Li Rong's fan and said angrily, "What are you doing?!"
"Young Master Lin, don't be anxious. Don't you want to know the truth?"
Lin Feibai hesitated for a moment. Li Rong put the fan into his clothes and picked out a necklace around his neck. "Do you recognize this necklace?"
When this necklace was picked out, everyone had different expressions on their faces. Every family had their own symbolic objects to identify their clansmen in case of an accident. Most of these objects were close-fitting and easy to carry. Some northern families would use tattoos, while southern families would often use some jade pendants, necklaces, and other objects.
Most of these objects were family emblems with names on them. Most ordinary people didn't know about these things, but aristocrats specialized in learning about the relationship between the various clans and were very clear about family emblems.
At this moment, this jade orchid carved from Kun Mountain's white jade fell into everyone's eyes. Everyone couldn't help but have a strange expression.
"Where did you steal this?!" Xie Lanqing was a little panicked. "How did you get this?"
Lin Feibai didn't speak. His face was pale. Li Rong smiled and reached out to flip the jade pendant over, revealing the word 'Qing' inside.
"Unfortunately, I had seen such a necklace on a younger sister of the Xie family before, so I was attracted by this object." "Lin Feibai and this object are somewhat similar to Lord Xie, and with this jade pendant as evidence and the relationship between the cinnabar and Lord Xie, I couldn't help but think more." "So I directly asked someone to investigate Xie Lanqing's life and found that when Minister Xie was young, he also had a romantic past that caused a storm in the city. It was said that Minister Xie fell in love with a woman from the pugilistic world, but his family didn't agree and betrothed Minister Xie to his current wife. On the day of the marriage, this woman held a sharp sword and cut off Minister Xie's hair crown before leaving."
"Then I checked the time when the Seven Stars Hall was established. It was two years after this romantic past, which happened to be a year after Young Master Lin was born." "So I pretended to know the location of the Seven Stars Hall and told Lin Feibai that the Seven Stars Hall was located in the territory of the Xie family. Young Master Lin was shocked and I knew that I guessed right."
Li Rong put down the necklace, stood up, and looked at Xie Lanqing with a smile. "In this way, the Seven Stars Hall, which has never been involved in the affairs of the rich and powerful, has a reason to take action." "Because the Hall Master of the Seven Stars Hall is the woman from the pugilistic world who fell in love with Lord Xie back then." "This Palace guesses that this should be what happened back then."
"Lord Xie fell in love with that woman when he was young, but because of his family's obstruction, they couldn't be together. The woman became pregnant and left, giving birth to Lin Feibai." "After Lord Xie got married, he found this woman and provided her with protection, helping her establish the Seven Stars Hall." "This Hall Master was unwilling to become Lord Xie's concubine for various reasons and didn't want her child to return to the Xie family, so she left Lin Feibai behind and raised him as a successor in the Seven Stars Hall." "And for some reason, Lord Xie agreed to this matter."
"You're talking nonsense!" Xie Lanqing shouted angrily, then hurriedly covered her wound. Li Rong tapped his small fan on his palm and said with a smile, "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you'll know once you test it." "Come, bring some clear water!"
Li Rong raised his voice and Xie Lanqing's expression immediately became extremely ugly.
Lin Feibai was in a daze. After a while, an attendant came in with clear water. Li Rong turned to look at Xie Lanqing. "Minister Xie, you're the Minister of Justice. Let's test your blood."
Xie Lanqing didn't dare to speak and stared at the bowl of clear water. Li Rong then looked at Lin Feibai. "Young Master Lin?"
Lin Feibai was a little absent-minded. He looked up at Li Rong. Shangguan Ya sighed and said from the side, "She traveled thousands of miles to Huajing and got pregnant before marriage, but was tragically abandoned. On the day of her wedding, she angrily cut off the groom's hair and was alone for nearly twenty years. How pitiful and sad." "As a child, don't you lament for your mother at all?"
"Lord Xie," Li Rong urged Xie Lanqing. "You're so hesitant. Is it because it's inconvenient for you to walk over, or because you don't dare to?"
Xie Lanqing's face stiffened. Lin Feibai suddenly got up and walked to Li Rong. He raised his hand and cut his finger with a sharp blade. Blood dripped into the bowl. He looked up at Xie Lanqing and said coldly, "Come here."
Xie Lanqing didn't move. Lin Feibai looked at him coldly. "Minister Xie, come here."
When Xie Lanqing was called by Lin Feibai, he heard the warning in Lin Feibai's tone. His face stiffened and he finally stood up. He walked stiffly to the table and stretched out his hand hesitantly. Lin Feibai saw Xie Lanqing's hesitation and simply grabbed him. He raised his hand and slashed down. As Xie Lanqing screamed, he directly cut Xie Lanqing's finger. He pinched his finger and dripped the blood into the cup!
The two drops of blood diffused in the water, met, and then slowly fused.
Looking at the blood droplets fusing together, Xie Lanqing said anxiously, "Impossible, someone is framing me. Your Majesty, this humble subject requests to be tested again, and …"
"What else is there to test."
Pei Wenxuan laughed. "Lord Xie, do you think this jade pendant is fake? Are Young Master Lin's eyes fake? Or are the two drops of blood in the bowl fake? Lord Xie, you assassinated the Princess first and colluded with her son to frame her. Now, instead of pleading guilty to the law and asking for forgiveness from His Majesty and His Highness, you still want to argue and defy the law here. I want to know who gave Lord Xie the courage to disregard His Majesty, disregard the laws of the country, disregard the laws of the country, and disregard the principles of heaven and earth! "
"Pei Wenxuan, you spouting nonsense, you brat!" Xie Lanqing angrily shouted and pointed at Pei Wenxuan. "It's you who instigated His Highness to do these messy things. Now, you even colluded with the assassins and bribed the chamberlain to frame this old subject. This old subject has been an official for 30 years and has worked hard for the country and the Emperor. Today, I have to be framed by these two children. I hope Your Majesty will investigate clearly!"
"Father Emperor," Li Rong listened to Xie Lanqing's words and she also knelt down. She bent her back and respectfully kowtowed. "This son apologizes to Father Emperor."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"This son knows. In fact, this son has been fooling around these past few days and has caused trouble for Father Emperor."
"This son is now in charge of these two cases. There are many aristocratic families involved. Among them, there are two death row prisoners from the Xie Family. Father Emperor allowed this son to take over this case, so he must be under great pressure. This son should also be prepared to disregard life and death when investigating this case. This son has thought countless times that perhaps it would be better for this son to not investigate this matter. After all, this son is only a woman. It would be better for this son and Father Emperor to properly take care of my husband and children at home and be doted on by Father Emperor and my husband. This son can live a stable and wealthy life. "
"It's just that this son can't bear to see the Qin Family being wronged. I can't bear to see the foundation of the country, such as the military pay, be eroded by vermin, so this son still stood up. This son is a princess and is supported by the people of the world. I can't just wear the brocade clothes and ignore the silkworms. This road is difficult. This son was afraid that Father Emperor would be under too much pressure and encountered all kinds of difficulties, but this son didn't report them. "
As Li Rong spoke, her voice became hoarse. "Official Xie is a trusted official and has done many good things for the court. He made things difficult for this son. This son shouldn't be in a deadlock with him. But this son … "
As Li Rong spoke, she was choking with sobs. "This son really has no other choice. This son can disregard my life, but the prince consort is innocent. Today, this son doesn't ask for punishment for Official Xie's assassination and framing. I only hope that everyone can make a decision on behalf of the prince consort. There should be an explanation for the assassination of the prince consort … It's one thing to bully this son since this son provoked Official Xie, but what about the prince consort? "
As Li Rong spoke towards the end, her voice was filled with tears. It was as if she really had no other way out.
"Your Highness," Xie Lanqing panicked when she heard this. She hurriedly said, "You are a princess. It is right and proper for you to investigate the Qin Clan case and the military pay case for the sake of the country and the people. This old official wouldn't dare to make things difficult for you, let alone assassinate and frame you."
"Then she's framing you!"
Li Ming abruptly shouted out. He looked at Li Rong, who was kneeling on the ground and begging for forgiveness in a hoarse voice. The powerlessness that had been suppressed by these old officials for more than a decade suddenly surged up. He felt anger in his heart. He then thought of how Xie Lanqing had said that Li Rong had connections with the eunuchs and the white magnolia hairpin on Hua Le's head. For a moment, he felt that Li Rong wasn't being bullied by Li Rong, but by Xie Lanqing.
"She is a princess," Li Ming pointed at Li Rong. "She is zhen's eldest daughter, the Empress's di daughter! You keep saying that she's framing you and scheming against you. She's just a child who isn't even nineteen yet, but she's scheming against you, an old fox who has been in court for more than thirty years?! "
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Xie Lanqing knelt on the ground and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, there are too many misunderstandings in this matter."
"Misunderstandings? What misunderstandings? You're just bullying zhen because zhen doesn't dare to do anything to you! It's fine if you don't have evidence today, zhen will tolerate you. Now that the evidence is conclusive, if you have any misunderstandings, go to the prison and clear them up! Come, "Li Ming shouted," Drag him away and send him to the Censorate to be interrogated by Pei Wenxuan! "
"Your Majesty … …" Minister Jiang Zheng hurriedly said, "Pei Wenxuan is the princess's son-in-law … …"
"What, when you do things, you don't have to talk about whose relatives you are. When zhen does things, zhen has to talk about avoiding suspicion? Let Pei Wenxuan interrogate him! "
Li Ming angrily said, "If anyone dares to say another word today, drag them away for interrogation!"
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other. Pei Wenxuan stood up and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not appropriate for this humble official to be in charge of this matter. It's better to hand him over to the Ministry of Justice."
"Hand him over to the Ministry of Justice?" Li Ming sneered, "Who dares to interrogate him in the Ministry of Justice?"
"This humble official is willing to recommend someone," Pei Wenxuan said calmly. Li Ming listened to Pei Wenxuan and slowly said, "Speak."
"The Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Pei Liming. This person is my paternal uncle. He is an upright and upright person. He has handled cases in the Ministry of Justice for many years and is familiar with the criminal law. This humble official is willing to recommend Assistant Minister Pei to investigate this case. "
Li Ming was silent. He subconsciously glanced at Su Yongqing.
Logically speaking, as the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Su Yongqing was much more suitable to investigate this case than Pei Wenxuan. However, now that the case was sent back to the Ministry of Justice and not let Pei Wenxuan's relatives handle it, he was afraid that Xie Lanqing's case would be left unsolved.
However, it didn't seem right to let Pei Liming handle the case directly. He was afraid that the Su Family would have objections. Li Ming was hesitating when Su Yongqing stood up and respectfully said, "This humble official agrees. This humble official also thinks that Assistant Minister Pei is the most suitable candidate. "
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