This earth-shattering sentence was like a pebble thrown into a lake, immediately stirring up a thousand ripples in the Throne Room. Behind him, a palace maid escorted him. His small figure was upright and seemed to have a special emotion in his eyes. Who else could it be but Xuan Pei?
Everyone looked at Xuan Pei in amazement. The thirteenth prince was almost unheard of in the imperial court. Even if Xuan Lang was incompetent, he still had Concubine Xian to protect him, so he wouldn't be bullied. However, the Thirteenth Prince Xuan Pei was only the son of a lowly palace maid. Now that his birth mother had passed away, no one in the palace cared about him. If not for the fact that he could be mentioned, no one would have remembered that there was such a person in the palace.
Perhaps Xuan Pei had specially dressed up today, finding a lotus green brocade robe. Lotus green was solemn and dignified. Now that Xuan Pei was only an eight or nine year old youth, he looked a little strange wearing it. Although the robe looked like brocade, it was probably a style from many years ago. At a glance, it was obvious that it did not fit him.
But even so, that small figure walked leisurely. Although he was not tall, he had a steady and calm demeanor. Even a glimmer of surprise involuntarily flashed through the Emperor's eyes. It was said that a person's actions and actions reflected their bearing. Xuan Pei's sudden appearance in front of everyone's eyes was not the cowardly, lowly prince in everyone's hearts. Instead, he had a kind of bearing and elegance. Everyone even had the illusion that, given time, this prince would certainly not be an ordinary person. Now, at such a young age, he already had a reserved and calm demeanor. Although the imperial family was blessed by heaven, Xuan Li in the past was no better than this.
Xuan Pei walked to the Throne Room, lifted the corner of his robe, and knelt down beside Jiang Ruan. He said, "Imperial Father, this son can testify that Princess He Yi was not killed by Hong An Junzhu!"
Jiang Ruan looked at the youth in front of her in a daze. Looking at him up close, Xuan Pei was different from the bullied child from before. It was as if he had become a different person. His face was pretentiously calm and mature, but it was extremely unfamiliar.
Xuan Pei had always been timid, and because of his birth mother, he was often bullied and humiliated in the palace. In her previous life, she had also entered the palace around this time. At that time, she had also encountered Xuan Pei being bullied. At the time, she had said a few words of comfort. Later, for some unknown reason, the Emperor had heard of it and had given Xuan Pei to her to raise.
In her previous life, she and Xuan Pei depended on each other in the palace. Xuan Pei was the most sensible child she had ever seen. However, he was a good child, but he could only be trapped deep in the palace like her. Xuan Pei did not even have the opportunity to show off his abilities in court like the other princes. Before Xuan Pei met her, he had been ruined by the people in the palace with ulterior motives. Although he was eight or nine years old, his mind was no different from a five or six year old child.
Now, this child was completely different from his usual self. There was no trace of the infatuation from his previous life in his eyes. They were clearly clear and bright. Xuan Pei had always been good looking. In her previous life, Li Dong had taken a fancy to him because of his incomparable beauty. At this moment, the child's appearance was excellent. Kneeling together with Jiang Ruan, it actually caused the people in the throne room to feel a sense of absent-mindedness. They only felt that these two people's appearance and mannerisms were actually seventy percent similar. However, on second thought, they felt that they were overthinking.
Xuan Lang and Xuan Li's gazes changed slightly. Xuan Pei's appearance was something that neither of them had expected. Although this Xuan Pei was not favored, he was still a prince like them in name. In Xuan Li's eyes, Xuan Pei was not even considered an ant. Deep in the palace, he had rarely heard of his name. Now that he was young and tender, and had been ruined since childhood, there was simply nothing to fear. Today's sudden appearance had already shocked Xuan Li greatly if he had spoken up for Jiang Ruan. At this moment, Xuan Pei's bearing and mannerisms made Xuan Li feel deeply uneasy.
The Emperor gazed at Xuan Pei with a complicated expression. He had never taken this son of his to heart. He could not even remember how many princes had died over the years, but the bones buried deep in the palace had never been lacking. Perhaps it was heaven's punishment for him. Among these sons, as long as they had some talent, they all had the ambition of wolves, or they were simply incompetent. For example, the Crown Prince had a shallow temperament. If he had not secretly protected him, he was afraid that he would have long since become a sacrifice in the power struggles of others.
The Emperor could no longer remember Xuan Pei's mother. Deep in the palace, princes of lowly birth were dispensable to the Emperor, and he had never cared about them. Today, seeing Xuan Pei for the first time, he did not know what kind of feeling he had in his heart.
This youth was young and beautiful, and his facial features were extremely beautiful. Because he had lived in the palace for a long time, his skin appeared excessively fair. However, because of his young age, he did not appear pale and sallow. Instead, he was as moving as a crystal doll. He had inherited the natural good bearing of the imperial family, and he had mastered this good bearing extremely well. Even though he had not come out to see people for so many years, and he did not know how he was doing, his natural noble bearing had not been damaged in the slightest.
More importantly, from the moment he walked in, he had looked straight into the Emperor's eyes. His voice was respectful but not humble, and his attitude was calm but not conceited. How was he like an eight or nine year old child? It would be more accurate to say that he was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth.
The Emperor suddenly realized that he had overlooked a possibly outstanding prince for so many years.
Xiao Shao frowned slightly. He could clearly see that Jiang Ruan's gaze towards Xuan Pei was somewhat unusual. Although she had tried her best to conceal it, it still revealed a little. He had placed Embroidered Uniform Guards in the palace, so naturally, he had heard about the Thirteenth Prince's situation. How could a spoiled child suddenly change overnight? A while ago, Jiang Ruan had helped Xuan Pei. Later, the Embroidered Uniform Guards reported the situation. At that time, Xuan Pei was still a cowardly prince who was bullied by palace maids. How could he act so appropriately today? It was as if he was a completely different person. Looking again at the palace maids and eunuchs who had followed Xuan Pei here, they behaved appropriately and did not overstep their boundaries. It was clear that they sincerely respected their master.
He had originally thought that Xuan Pei's appearance was arranged by Jiang Ruan, but now it seemed different. Jiang Ruan's expression clearly showed that she did not know anything. What did this Thirteenth Prince mean?
Xiao Shao's gaze paused. He did not know if it was an illusion, but he felt that Xuan Pei's actions and mannerisms were somewhat similar to Jiang Ruan's.
The Emperor muttered to himself for a long time before slowly saying, "Oh, how do you want to testify?"
"That day, when the incident happened, I was also at Mufeng Pavilion and saw it with my own eyes. Princess He Yi was dragged to a chair by two palace maids. At first, I thought that they were playing around. Later, Hong 'an Junzhu came. I saw her go forward to inquire, and then Princess He Yi collapsed. At that time, the incident happened so suddenly that I was bewildered and took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to me to sneak back. Later, I heard that Hong 'an Junzhu had been thrown into prison. I thought about it from all sides and felt that something was wrong. Although I was afraid, I could not watch as Hong' an Junzhu was slandered. I was cowardly, so I came forward to testify. Imperial Father, please understand! "
As soon as these words came out, everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. What did the Thirteenth Prince mean? He could testify at the scene, and the Fourth Prince, Xuan Lang, also claimed to have seen it with his own eyes. Xuan Pei's words were obviously accusing Xuan Lang of lying!
Xuan Lang's expression changed a few times. Naturally, he also knew the severity of this matter. Since Xuan Pei had said such words, he had to wade into these muddy waters even if he did not want to. Moreover, no matter what, Xuan Pei's words had first aroused the Emperor's suspicions.
What kind of person was Xuan Pei? Right now, he was only a child of eight or nine years old. No matter how calm he appeared, his age could not be refuted. People would think that a child did not need to lie, but he was different.
Without waiting for Xuan Lang to open his mouth to exonerate himself, Empress Shu impatiently said, "Do you know what you are saying? His Fourth Highness also saw it with his own eyes. By saying this, aren't you wrongly accusing His Fourth Highness? " Empress Shu's heart was already filled with hatred towards Xuan Pei. He was merely the son of a lowly palace maid, yet he had actually colluded with Jiang Ruan to exonerate him. Since this was the case, she would drag this Thirteenth Prince into the water and make him pay for his actions!
Empress Dowager Yi De looked at Xuan Pei in confusion. When she had first seen Xuan Pei, she had also been astonished, thinking that it was Xiao Shao's arrangement. In her heart, she had wondered when Xiao Shao and Xuan Pei had become related. Later, when she saw that Xuan Pei's words were clear, unlike the rumors in the palace, her heart was slightly comforted. She naturally trusted Xiao Shao's character. Since Xuan Pei had been chosen by Xiao Shao, he naturally would not be bad. And among these princes, it was really rare to find someone who had some talent and no ambition.
Immediately, Empress Dowager Yi De glanced at Empress Shu and said, "The matter has not been clarified. Empress Shu, aijia thinks that you have overstepped your bounds."
Empress Shu did not dare to offend Empress Dowager Yi De, so she unwillingly kept her mouth shut. In her heart, however, she was calculating how to drag Xuan Pei into the water.
The Emperor glanced at Xuan Pei. Although he did not like him exonerating Jiang Ruan, he still asked, "Oh, do you know that what Fourth Brother said is not quite the same as what you said?"
"Replying to Imperial Father, I do not know what Fourth Brother said, but I saw that when the palace maid supported He Yi to Mu Feng Pavilion, Fourth Brother was also there. I also heard what Fourth Brother said to Hong An Junzhu. " Xuan Pei's voice was clear and bright, different from the gloominess of an adult man. It had a kind of clarity and vitality that belonged to a youth. Listening to it made one's heart feel at ease, as if everything he said was convincing.
Xuan Lang clenched his fists tightly, only to hear the Emperor ask, "What did he say?"
Jiang Ruan glanced at Xuan Pei. At this time, she was also somewhat uncertain whether Xuan Pei had been there that day. For her, Xuan Pei's appearance today was really too unimaginable. It was also precisely because of Xuan Pei's sudden appearance that she was unable to continue with the matter of Hui Jue. Xuan Pei should not have been there that day. What made her even more puzzled was why, in such a short period of time, Xuan Pei seemed to have changed into a different person. What exactly had happened?
"I heard Fourth Brother say to Hong An Junzhu that when Fourth Brother mentioned the marriage in front of Imperial Grandmother, he hoped that Hong An Junzhu would not refuse. Otherwise, Hong An Junzhu would not be able to escape the great crime of beheading." Xuan Pei said loudly.
As soon as these words came out, the Jinluan Imperial Hall immediately fell silent. Even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard.
Xuan Lang's face suddenly became snow-white, and the first thing he did was to look at Xuan Li's expression.
Jiang Ruan also stared blankly for a moment, then laughed in her heart. It seemed that Xuan Pei had certainly not been to this Feng Bo Pavilion that day. Xuan Pei's words could not be said to be unwise. Just as he finished speaking, not only did the Emperor's expression change slightly, even Xuan Li's expression became unnatural.
Xuan Lang had originally framed Xuan Li for murder. His ultimate goal was merely to marry Jiang Ruan into the Xuan Li fu. However, Xuan Pei's words revealed another meaning. Xuan Lang's words meant that he wanted him to marry Jiang Ruan. Xuan Li appeared to be lenient on the surface, but in reality, he was very suspicious. How could he not suspect that Xuan Lang was outwardly complying but inwardly opposing? On the surface, it seemed that Xuan Lang was doing things according to his wishes, but in reality, he was using a different method. Although Xuan Lang was incompetent, there was still Imperial Consort Xian above him. Now that Imperial Consort Chen had lost her power, Xuan Lang might still have a chance to climb up. If Jiang Ruan married Xuan Lang, the benefits that she could bring to Xuan Li would also bring to Xuan Lang.
If Xuan Lang really did have other intentions, it was not impossible.
Xuan Li's eyes flashed slightly, but he was not as calm as before. Xuan Lang had been planning with him for many years, so he naturally knew what Xuan Li was thinking. For a moment, he was very angry at Xuan Pei's stratagem of sowing discord, but under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he was unable to explain it to Xuan Li. Anxious, he also strode into the hall and knelt down in front of the Emperor.
"Imperial Father, please understand, this son has been wrongly accused!" Xuan Lang's voice was incomparably sorrowful. He was a person who was used to putting on a show, but his face really did show some confusion and helplessness. He looked at Xuan Pei with a gaze full of grief and indignation, and said indignantly, "Thirteenth Younger Brother, you and I are both brothers. Who incited you to frame me? You are still young, so you must not fall into other people's trap. "
The meaning of his words was to point the spearhead at Jiang Ruan, and he had successfully used the Emperor's suspicions towards Jiang Ruan. Xuan Pei was still young, so it was very likely that he would be bewitched by others. All the officials looked at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan's expression did not change, but her heart was somewhat troubled.
What exactly did Xuan Pei want to do? She did not want Xuan Pei to be involved in this matter, but Xuan Pei's various actions today must have aroused the attention of many people in the court. For example, Xuan Li would certainly notice Xuan Pei's abnormality. It was not necessarily a good thing for Xuan Pei to be in the limelight today. Currently, he did not have the ability to protect himself. It could be foreseen that after today, Xuan Pei's position in the court would be better than before, but at the same time, his troubles would follow.
For a mother, it was in her nature to protect her child. Jiang Ruan did not want Xuan Pei to be involved, but now that the situation had developed to this point, no one had expected it. For a moment, she did not know how to end the matter.
"This son's words are all true, and I hope that Imperial Father will understand." Xuan Pei did not pay attention to Xuan Lang's words, but his tone was as stubborn as ever.
The Emperor looked at Xuan Pei with a deep gaze and said in a low voice, "Both of you insist on your own words, and both have your own explanations. One of you must be lying. Thirteenth, even if you testify, Hong 'an Junzhu cannot escape from this matter. "
Even with Xuan Pei's testimony, both sides insisted on their own words, and still could not prove Jiang Ruan's innocence. This show could not end.
Unexpectedly, Xuan Pei shook his head and said, "No, not only this son is a witness, there is another person who can testify for Hong 'an Junzhu."
The entire hall was in an uproar. There was another person?
"Oh? Who else? "The Emperor asked.
"There is also this son." In the silence, someone suddenly spoke. The Crown Prince suddenly smiled and stood out from among the hundreds of officials.
The Empress and Empress Dowager Yi De's gazes froze at the same time. Xuan Li's tightly clenched fist trembled slightly, and Xuan Lang looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief.
However, the Crown Prince looked at Jiang Ruan meaningfully, walked to Xuan Pei's side, lifted the corner of his robe, and knelt down. The three of them knelt side by side. The Crown Prince said to the Emperor, "Replying to Imperial Father, Thirteenth Younger Brother's words are all true, because this son was also present that day."
Jiang Ruan frowned. Xuan Pei was not present that day, so the Crown Prince's words could be said to be full of nonsense. She had instructed Xiao Shao not to interfere in this matter, so the Crown Prince's sudden action was certainly not Xiao Shao's idea. Even if the people of the General fu wanted to save her, they would not have used the Crown Prince's method, so it should not have been done by the people of the General fu. Then, this matter was a little strange. Jiang Ruan glanced at Xuan Pei, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind. Could it be Xuan Pei?
The Emperor had not yet spoken, but Shu Fei finally could not bear it and cried out involuntarily, "Crown Prince, what are you saying? Have you also been bewitched by someone? "
The Empress looked coldly at Shu Fei and said, "Shu Fei, be careful with your words." Although the Empress had an undeserved reputation in the inner palace, when the Emperor was present, she still had some position. Usually, she let the affairs of the inner palace flow as they pleased, but once it was related to the Crown Prince, she had no choice but to pay attention. She did not care if Shu Fei wanted to slander and frame others, but when it involved the Crown Prince, she could not sit idly by.
"Shut up." The Emperor was also angry with Shu Fei's actions. Previously, he sympathized with her for losing her beloved daughter, so he was more tolerant of her, but now he saw that she was really becoming more and more unreasonable. However, he still had some doubts in his heart when the Crown Prince suddenly spoke up for Jiang Ruan. This son of his had no brains and could not be of great use. He was often led by the nose by others, but he was still arrogant and often did stupid things. It was even more impossible for him to take the initiative to help others. Today, his attitude was obviously speaking up for Jiang Ruan. Could it be that Jiang Ruan had some relationship with the Crown Prince? One Xuan Pei had already made him very suspicious, so why did the Crown Prince interfere?
The Imperial Palace had never heard of any dealings between the Crown Prince and Jiang Ruan, so the Emperor could not help but cast his gaze towards Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao himself had already mentioned that he wanted to marry Jiang Ruan, but when Jiang Ruan was sent to the Ministry of Justice's prison, he did not make any move. At that time, he had already felt that it was strange. Could it be that he had kept this hidden? The Emperor immediately felt somewhat stifled.
His Highness the Crown Prince had come out to testify, which meant that there were two princes speaking up for Jiang Ruan. Suddenly, the situation changed again.
Xuan Lang was somewhat anxious. This matter should have been foolproof, but today, halfway through, the Crown Prince and Xuan Pei had appeared. Most importantly, ever since Xuan Pei had said those words, the way Xuan Li looked at him had changed, and he had no intention of speaking up for him. Once the seed of doubt was planted, it would break through the soil and germinate on its own. In the end, it would grow into an invincible tumor, and Xuan Li, who was naturally suspicious, was even more so.
He faced the Emperor and kowtowed several times, "Imperial Father, everything this son has said is true. This son does not dare to deceive Imperial Father. Imperial Father is wise!"
The Crown Prince carelessly looked at Xuan Lang and said, "Fourth Younger Brother, what are you saying? Could it be that ben gong and Thirteenth Younger Brother have colluded to frame you?"
The hundreds of officials in the court looked at them, puzzled. The Crown Prince and Xuan Lang had always been on good terms, but now, they had turned into enemies?
However, Xuan Lang was well aware that ever since Jiang Ruan had said something to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince had deliberately distanced himself from him, and even belittled her to cause trouble for him. Xuan Lang knew that this matter was definitely related to Jiang Ruan, and because of this, Xuan Lang had always been somewhat afraid of Jiang Ruan. At this moment, the Crown Prince was mercilessly suppressing him, and Consort Xian was not present today. Xuan Li did not say anything, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it himself.
The Crown Prince said to the Emperor, "That day, this son met Thirteenth Younger Brother by chance on the road. On a spur of the moment, I went to Mu Feng Pavilion. I did not expect to see the scene that Thirteenth Younger Brother had just described. At that time, this son was also extremely afraid, but seeing that Thirteenth Younger Brother dared to come out to testify at such a young age, if this son continues to be a cowardly tortoise, then I am not fit to be Imperial Father's son. Thus, I came out to testify for Hong 'an Junzhu. "
He spoke without thinking, with the appearance of a sloppy, debauchee. The hundreds of officials had seen the Crown Prince's way of doing things, and for a moment, they were all speechless.
The Emperor suppressed his anger and was about to speak when he heard the Crown Prince speak again, "However, there are many points of doubt in this case, so this son has brought someone to help. With this person's help, it will not be difficult to solve this case satisfactorily."
"Who?" The Emperor asked in a low voice.
"Come," the Crown Prince said loudly, "Bring the Holy Hand of Jin Ling, Divine Doctor Xia, up —"
A eunuch announced and a person slowly walked in from outside the hall. He was dressed in a refreshing blue robe and looked to be in his early twenties. He had a pleasing baby face and a satchel at his waist. When he arrived in the hall, he knelt before the Emperor and said, "This commoner, Xia Qing, kowtows in salute to Your Majesty."
Holy Hand of Jin Ling, Xia Qing. Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air. This person had served in the Imperial Physician's Bureau for generations, yet he was born in Xia Qing's generation. Xia Qing was a restless person. He looked down on the treatment methods of the Imperial Physicians, and his mind was full of novel ideas. However, the masters that the Imperial Physicians treated were all nobles. If they were not careful and killed someone, they would lose their head. How could they tolerate Xia Qing's novel, never-before-heard treatment methods?
Xia Qing felt that the longer he stayed in the Imperial Palace, the more he would be restricted. Thus, he bade farewell to his family and went out to travel. He did not know that later on, he became Jia Nanshan's disciple and became Teacher Ba Qi's disciple. His medical skills reached perfection and he received the title of 'Holy Hand of Jin Ling'.
Although Xia Qing was still young, there was no one in the Great Jin dynasty who did not know his name. Even so, when the Imperial Physician's Bureau invited him again, Xia Qing still tactfully declined. He had traveled the north and south of the Yangtze River, but this was the first time he had entered the Imperial Palace after becoming famous.
No one had expected that the Crown Prince would invite Xia Qing, nor that Xia Qing was related to the Crown Prince. Now that Xia Qing had come, what did he want?
Seeing everyone's dumbfounded expressions, the Crown Prince smiled, "Everyone, there is no need to be suspicious. I believe that He Yi's death is really strange. Even the corpse is not right. It just so happens that Divine Doctor Xia is an old friend of mine. I invited him to take a look at He Yi's corpse." After a pause, he slowly said, "If I didn't look, I wouldn't have known.
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