In the main room of the Dou Residence.
Lady Dou personally fed Dou Chengji the medicine.
She put down the bowl and waved her hand to send the maid away.
She sat down on the bed and asked softly, "Didn't everything go smoothly this time?
Why is Master still so worried? "
Dou Chengji smiled bitterly and sighed, "His Highness The Prince Of Qi hates me to the bone.
How can I be happy? "Although he felt bitter in his heart, he regretted it.
If he had not offended the King Of Qi, he would have gone back to his farm.
He could go back to his hometown and farm now. He had spent half his life trying to get to where he was today.
In the blink of an eye, he had turned into smoke. How could he be willing?
Now, he had temporarily kept his position as the Minister of Ministry of Justice.
The Emperor felt that Pei Ji deserved to die. The ministers who wanted to kill Lin Ruo were so scared that they did not dare to say anything. They could not even protect themselves.
No one dared to mention Pei Ji's case again. Of course, he did not have to worry about being pushed out as a scapegoat.
But in the end, he still could not be happy. He said in a low voice, "His Highness The Prince Of Qi is a vicious person.
He will take revenge for the smallest grievance. He can bear a grudge for a lifetime. Not to mention … His Majesty has imprisoned him.
But he sent Pei Ji off in front of so many ministers.
He often called his friends to go out and play.
But no one dared to tell His Majesty.
Why? Because they were all afraid of him. If he told His Majesty, he would at most be reprimanded. But the one who talked too much might lose his family's lives. Why bother? Now that I have offended him, my life in the future … will be difficult! "
Lady Dou frowned and said, "After today, will the King Of Qi still be able to achieve anything?"
Dou Chengji said, "So what if he is not able to achieve anything? As a prince, there are many ways to make things difficult for a minister. What's more, I'm not some impeccable and upright official. "
He smiled bitterly and said, "I originally thought that if His Majesty stripped him of his title in a fit of rage, I would be able to sit back and relax in the future. But … King Of Qi is really smart!"
Lady Dou asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?" She had heard a lot of rumors about the King Of Qi, but none of them were related to "smart".
Dou Chengji said, "If it were an ordinary person, he would have tried his best to defend himself or even confront others … But this is definitely not a good choice, because no matter if he wins or loses, it will not benefit him at all. If he loses, the evidence will be irrefutable, and it will be difficult to reverse the case. If he wins, His Majesty will think that the King Of Qi is indeed a sinister and cunning person, and that his previous rashness and impulsiveness were all fake …
"In fact, this is not the most important thing. The biggest advantage of the King Of Qi pretending to be crazy and making a scene is that His Majesty can't punish him on the spot. You don't understand His Majesty's temperament. His Majesty is very impulsive. Today in the hall, His Majesty was already furious. At that time, no matter what the King Of Qi said, His Majesty would not listen. If His Majesty punished him at that time, it would be a light punishment for him to be stripped of his title. But if His Majesty missed today, it would be hard to say …
"The King Of Qi's main fault is that he colluded with Pei Ji and others to form a clique for personal gain, deceiving His Majesty … This crime can be heavy or light. It depends on His Majesty. When His Majesty calms down and dispels his anger, Concubine De and others will put in more good words for him. Maybe His Majesty's heart will soften … "Dou Chengji shook his head and said," So, when I saw that the situation was not good today, I purposely bumped into the King Of Qi's knife. I more or less added to his crime. At the very least, I can keep him safe for a while. After a while, I will purposely make a small mistake and ask His Majesty to demote me to be an official in another place. I'll just avoid him for a while! "
Madame Dou bit her lip. "Wasn't everything that happened today His Highness the Crown Prince's idea? Could it be that he didn't care and allowed you to be harmed by the Prince of Qi?"
"The Crown Prince?" Dou Chengji sneered, shook his head and sighed, "He is a master that can't be counted on!"
Lady Dou was silent for a moment. Then, with tears in her eyes, she said, "If you knew this would happen, why did you bother to provoke the King Of Qi?"
Dou Chengji smiled bitterly and said, "Do you think I wanted to provoke him? He was the one who did it! He usually hides too well. If it wasn't for that painting, who would know that he actually … With irrefutable evidence, only he would have the idea of that painting. Zheng Da is also one of his people. Even if I say that it was someone else who did it, someone has to believe me! Besides, is His Highness the King Of Qin a vegetarian? Would he allow me to bite his people at will? "
Both of them were in a heavy mood. Neither of them was in the mood to talk. After a moment of silence, Dou Chengji said gently, "When we go back, sort out the properties in Chang 'an. Sell whatever that can be sold!"
Lady Dou agreed in a low voice.
As they were talking, a voice came from outside the door. The housekeeper mother came in and said, "Master, Madam, there is news from the front yard. Someone is outside, saying that he wants to hand in a complaint."
Lady Dou stopped crying. Her expression was cold as she said, "How do you do things? How can this kind of thing be spread to the inner yard? This is not the yamen. What complaint is there to hand over? Besides, even if it was the yamen, they wouldn't hand over a complaint directly to the Ministry of Justice. "
The housekeeper mother hurriedly said, "It's my fault. I will go and tell them now."
"Wait!" Dou Chengji said, "Did they say who it was?"
The housekeeper of the front yard was not without propriety. How could he let anyone in so casually?
The housekeeper mother thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be a servant with the surname Lin. His name is …"
Dou Chengji quivered and sat up abruptly, "Is his name Linchuan?"
"I, I think so."
Dou Chengji scolded, "Idiot, you can't even pass on a single sentence. You almost ruined Master's important matter! Quickly go and invite him in! "
Now that he heard the word "Lin", his scalp went numb. He was even more afraid of missing something if he avoided it.
The housekeeper mother was shocked and hurriedly left. A moment later, she brought the housekeeper of the front yard in. The housekeeper presented the document in his hand and said, "Linchuan left after leaving this. He said that this complaint was personally written by his young master."
Dou Chengji did not wait for him to finish. He had already read ten lines at a glance. His expression was one of shock, joy, and fear. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it. Since I've already offended him, there's nothing to be afraid of!"
He forced himself to get off the bed and said, "Quickly, bring the official's robes and prepare a carriage to the yamen!"
Lady Dou hurriedly said, "Master, your injuries have not healed yet. What can't wait …"
"It can't wait!" Dou Chengji said, "Whether I live or die, it all depends on this!"
*****
Prison was never a pleasant place, whether it was the Supreme Court or the Ministry of Justice.
It was dark, damp, and filled with all kinds of indescribable smells and hair-raising sounds. There was also a skeleton-like figure in the corner. The ghostly gaze under the messy hair made people shudder.
Linchuan was not timid, but walking in this kind of place, he could not help but feel a little uneasy. Lin Ruo, who walked in front of him, was still walking leisurely. His state of mind was rarely affected by the surrounding environment.
Because there were a few ferocious prison guards, no one dared to stretch out their bony hands from the railings to scare them. After walking for a while, the prison guard in front said, "It's just in front. We're almost there."
This was a single cell for serious criminals. The environment was much better, so of course, the security was more strict. Lin Ruo nodded and walked a few more steps. Suddenly, he heard a cold laugh, "Lin Ruo, it's you."
Lin Ruo turned around and saw Li Yuanji. He was wearing a white prison uniform, barefoot, and his hair was loose. Although he was in a difficult situation, his expression was still arrogant. He raised his eyebrows and said, "What, are you here to laugh at me?"
Lin Ruo really did not know that Li Yuanji was locked up in the Ministry of Justice, and in this kind of place. He glanced at him and casually looked away, saying, "Let's go!"
The prison guard seemed to have woken up from a dream and repeatedly said, "Oh, oh." He quickly walked to another empty cell and said, "It's here."
He was about to take out the key to open the door.
Lin Ruo shook his head and said, "No need, we'll just look around outside."
The prison guard wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, he bowed and left with his men.
They were not looking for him! Li Yuanji's expression changed greatly. He fiercely grabbed the railing and angrily shouted, "Lin Ruo!"
This time, Lin Ruo did not even turn his head. He quietly looked at the person behind the railing.
Normally, male and female prisoners should be separated. However, he did not know whether it was because serious criminals did not pay attention to this or because Dou Chengji deliberately arranged for these two to be locked up nearby. Moreover, only these two were locked up in this area.
There was a woman behind the railing. She was tall and sturdy, and her hands and feet were thick. Her appearance now was very miserable. Her face and body were covered in bloodstains. She was full of whip marks and rod marks. Her hands were also bloodstained. She could not control her trembling. She looked up blankly at Lin Ruo standing outside the railing. The young man in elegant scholarly robes was standing outside and looking at her. He was so clean that it was as if he came from another world.
After being stunned for a long time, she suddenly remembered who this person was. She suddenly rushed forward and crazily shouted, "It's you! It's you! You're the one who harmed me! You killed my husband, and now you want to kill me! "
Lin Ruo quietly looked at her. When she finally calmed down, he calmly said, "I don't know how Rho Lai died, and I don't care. It doesn't matter if someone provided poison for you to personally poison him, or if someone else poisoned him and gave you money to frame me. To me, it doesn't make any difference. I only need to know that you first slandered Xiao Shu and cursed your husband Rho Lai to death. Then you went to the yamen to falsely accuse him, causing Xiao Shu to die in the Supreme Court. That is enough. "
Lin Ruo's calm and almost cold expression made the woman a bit timid. Her lips trembled and she did not say anything.
Lin Ruo continued, "I haven't seen you in a few months, and you've actually become a bit more plump. It seems that after the death of your gambling husband and the unexpected wealth, you've been living a good life. But I really don't understand why you're so relaxed.
"Pei Ji, who was ordered to interrogate this case, is dead. The Minister of the Supreme Court, who presided over the Supreme Court, is dead. The yamen runners and secretaries who interrogated Xiao Shu are dead. The jailers who watched over him are dead … The King Of Qi, who instigated them, is now living next door to you …"
"Why do you think that I'll let you and your children, who falsely accused Xiao Shu, go?"
When the two words' Pei Ji 'entered the woman's ears, she was already in disbelief. Then she was horrified. Of course she knew that Pei Ji was dead, the Minister of the Supreme Court was dead, and many of the old men in the Supreme Court were dead. But she never thought that the deaths of these important people, who she didn't even dare to think about, would be related to her … Her chin trembled and she couldn't say a word. Her body weakly slid down the railing, shaking like a leaf in the wind.
She never thought that a little fortune-teller, who she slandered for a few taels of silver, would be an existence like the King of Hell. The old master of the Supreme Court was dead, the prime minister was dead, and even the King Of Qi was arrested. How could she, a little peasant woman, still want to live?
She fell to the ground in despair. But when she heard the words' children ', she jumped up as if she had been electrocuted. She anxiously shouted, "What do you want to do? It has nothing to do with them. I did it alone … If you want to kill me, kill me. If you want to kill me, kill me. They are innocent … "
Lin Ruo lightly said, "They are not the only ones who are innocent. Isn't Xiao Shu innocent? Since you can unscrupulously frame the innocent, why should I let your children go because of the word 'innocent'? "
He continued, "These things are not something you can get involved in. Since you barged in, you can only blame yourself for ending up like this. I heard that the authorities haven't found your two children yet. But you should know my abilities. Don't worry, I will find them and let them die in the most tragic way possible … You don't have to be anxious in the netherworld. Wait until I vent my anger, then I will send them to see you. "
He turned around and left.
"No … No!" The woman knelt down behind him. Her head banged against the railing, "Prince Lin, I beg you to let them go! Prince Lin! You are so merciful. As long as you let them go, I will be your slave in my next life! I beg you … "
Lin Ruo acted as if he didn't hear her. He didn't even stop walking. The woman broke down and cried, "What can I do? What can I do? They gave me poison. If I didn't do it, they would have killed me! If I died, Bao Er and the others would have been sold by that bastard Rho Lai. What can I do … "
"If I didn't say that Rho Lai was cursed to death by that servant, they would have reported me and said that I killed Rho Lai … I had no choice … I was forced, I was forced! You nobles only know how to bully us commoners … "
Lin Ruo stopped but didn't turn around. He said, "I'm sorry, I'm not a good person. So I can't understand your difficulties."
He continued to walk out. Behind him came the woman's cries of despair.
"Stop!" Li Yuanji stared at Lin Ruo who was passing by his prison door. He gritted his teeth and said, "What did you do?"
Lin Ruo stopped. He turned around and looked at him. He calmly said, "I wrote a sealed complaint against Rho Lai's wife for poisoning her husband and falsely accusing others."
Li Yuanji sneered, "So you didn't come to laugh at me. You came to hit me when I'm down."
"Hit me when I'm down?" Lin Ruo laughed, "That's not it."
Li Yuanji laughed mockingly, "Not it?"
"No." Lin Ruo said lightly, "I just think that the criminals here should be punished for the evil they have done and not for some groundless crime — — even if they are nobles. After all, this is the Ministry of Justice. It is in charge of the Tang Dynasty's prisons. It should have its own dignity and justice. "
"Ha," Li Yuanji sneered, "I didn't expect Prince Lin to be so law-abiding … — — You're talking as if you didn't kill Pei Ji."
Lin Ruo said lightly, "If His Highness The Prince Of Qi has the time to laugh at others, why don't you think about how you're going to live your life in the future?"
Li Yuanji said coldly, "Prince Lin, you don't have to worry about that."
Lin Ruo ignored him and continued, "In the entire Tang Dynasty, the person who wants His Highness The Prince Of Qi to fall the most is probably Minister Lord Dou of the Ministry of Justice. So my sealed complaint is his life-saving straw. As long as he catches the person who gave the poison to that woman and the person who instigated her to frame me, he can follow them and find out a lot of people and a lot of things. If Lord Dou investigates these things for no reason, I'm afraid that people will say that he is deliberately framing me. After all, he does have a motive to do so. But now that I have sealed my complaint, Lord Dou can confidently investigate.
"These things, every time one of them is found, the people on the streets will know about it. Your Highness is now locked up in the Ministry of Justice, so when the people know about it, they will definitely applaud and praise Your Majesty for being wise and putting righteousness before family. When that time comes, Your Majesty will want to …"
Halfway through his speech, Li Yuanji had already lost his initial calmness. At this moment, his whole body was trembling and his expression was ferocious. He crazily pushed against the railing, "Lin Ruo, Lin Ruo! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! "
Lin Ruo said lightly, "Obviously, you can't do it."
He turned around and left.
Li Yuanji angrily roared and punched the railing, "Lin Ruo! Lin Ruo! "
*****
After leaving the prison, Lin Chuan said, "Young master, should we go see Lord Dou?"
Lin Ruo said, "See him for what? Do you really think that he is an ally? Don't think that he dared to say anything nice when he begged me to pry open that woman's mouth. If he had the chance to send us to the guillotine, he would not hesitate at all. "
Lin Chuan frowned and said, "If that's the case, young master, why do you help him again and again?"
Lin Ruo said, "It's not helping, it's using. Since it's being used, it's naturally convenient for enemies or evildoers. When friends and good people are used, if they don't feel guilty, they will owe favors … troublesome. "
Lin Chuan was helpless against his master's logic. He changed the topic and said, "Then that woman will talk? Do you want me to send people to find her two children? With them in hand, perhaps that woman will be more cooperative? "
Lin Ruo shook his head and said, "Let's not talk about not being able to find them in a short time. Even if we find them, we cannot let her know."
Lin Chuan was surprised and asked, "Why?"
Lin Ruo said, "Because this woman has never been a kind person. When we first met her, she chose to do evil for the sake of twenty taels of silver. After that, she even killed her husband and framed others … She is the epitome of 'bullying the kind and fearing the evildoers'. At the same time, she also has the heart of a loving mother. Even if she was tortured, she did not dare to reveal those people because she knew that they would really harm her children.
"And as long as we show the slightest bit of kindness, she will not take us seriously. Because to her, good people can be bullied because even if they are bullied to death, they will not harm the innocent. So even if we bring her children in front of her, she will still choose to hide it because she is afraid that the evildoers will take revenge … So I can only let her despair. When this kind of person loses all hope, she will drag everyone she can to hell with her. So she will speak very quickly, and she will say more than we can imagine. "
As he said this, Lin Ruo suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, "Later, go see Lord Dou and tell him to hurry. If he can't find enough things before tomorrow morning's court, he can forget about everything."
Lin Chuan was stunned and said, "What's wrong?"
Lin Ruo said, "Didn't you say that His Highness the King Of Qin and the Crown Prince entered the palace one after the other? At this moment, they are probably kneeling in Taiji Palace to plead for mercy for the King Of Qi. In addition, with the pillow talk last night, if there are no accidents, with the Emperor's personality, he will punish the King Of Qi very lightly tomorrow morning. "
"When did you find out about the palace's matters? This subordinate has not had time to inquire! "
Lin Ruo said, "There is no need to inquire to know. Yesterday, when the King Of Qin met with Lord Wei, Lord Wei will definitely give him this idea as proof of his allegiance … Of course, he will also give the Crown Prince an idea to continue serving the Emperor and express his support for all of His Majesty's decisions. However, I'm afraid the Crown Prince will not listen.
Lin Chuan said in surprise, "Why would Lord Wei give different ideas to the two princes? Could it be because Lord Wei decided to side with the King Of Qin, so … "
Lin Ruo shook his head and said, "Lord Wei is not that kind of person, but His Highness the Crown Prince must have the same idea as you, so he will definitely choose to follow the King Of Qin's actions. However, he doesn't know that the Emperor was dissatisfied with the King Of Qin before, because he felt that the King Of Qin was too cold and indifferent to family. Therefore, if the King Of Qi did not care about the former enmity and pleaded for mercy for the King Of Qin, the Emperor will definitely be moved and think that he was only tough on the outside but soft on the inside. However, the Crown Prince … He has always been on good terms with the King Of Qi, so even if he pleaded for mercy for the King Of Qi, the Emperor will not be moved, so he might as well show his filial and considerate side. Most importantly, if he pleads for mercy for the King Of Qi, he will definitely anger another person … "
Lin Chuan had an idea and said, "Lord Dou?"
Lin Ruo nodded and said with a smile, "It's hard for you to be smart for once. The Crown Prince and the King Of Qin do not care whether the King Of Qi will lose his status as a prince or not, because this unforeseen event has caused him to completely lose the Emperor's heart, and it will be difficult for him to achieve anything in the future. What is there to fear about a powerless prince? However, to Dou Chengji, this is very important … "
He shook his head and said, "Our Crown Prince will always make the choice that benefits him the most. If he were the Emperor, or the only successor of the Tang Empire, this choice might not be wrong … but unfortunately, he is not."
It was not that the Crown Prince did not have the means to win people's hearts, but at the critical moment, his nature made him only consider his own interests.
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