Chapter 168

“There is this possibility. Moreover, I did an experiment yesterday. I found a scarecrow wearing Yü Wang’s gold silk soft armor, stood on the bleachers, and had the crossbow battalion fire more than ten arrows at the target from the drill ground. None of the arrows were able to penetrate the soft gold armor, causing such a serious injury to King Yu. The distance was too great.

I think Shi Feng is just a scapegoat. That day assassinate your majesty, cast cold arrows, should be another person, and is more than one person, using more than one□□, perhaps among them have this improved new crossbow, force is stronger than the other weapons, will appear four arrows, the effect of the situation of the difference is so big.”

The emperor felt wrong: “If it is really as you say, this is not too many loopholes?”

Xiao Gong can’t answer, hesitates for a moment, General Qi reminds, “Your Majesty, the premise of these loopholes is that you are safe and sound, and Yü Wang’s gold silk armor exposes the loopholes behind this. If Yuhang did not sacrifice his life to save the emperor that day, would anyone have found out so many details by now?”

The emperor thought for a few seconds and laughed coldly: “If Xian Yang didn’t wear that gold silk soft armor, I would have already been sworn in. I’m afraid that both of you would be gone. At that time, it is Shi Feng’s great crime of regicide, he is from the Qi family army, Yul Wang brought into the capital, Yul Wang naturally can’t escape the blame. At that time, all the princes will be busy fighting for the throne, who will care about the truth?”

Old General Qi had been on the battlefield for many years, but he had never experienced such regicide and conspiracy, his heart was appalled.

The emperor was only angry because of an accident, now, there are a few chills, “Criminal Justice Department, the murderer behind the scenes can have clues?”

Xiao Gong at this moment is also difficult to have a conclusion, only said, “microchen think even crossbow camp people have to check. After all, Shi Feng went to the schoolyard of the Company Crossbow Battalion for no reason, and went crazy there for no reason, so it’s always necessary to find out every word said by everyone at that time.”

The emperor nodded and ordered him to continue to go after him.

In this half day, the emperor was a bit mentally exhausted.

Sitting in the Chong Hua Hall, he was slow to move.

When the Empress came to ask for peace, she was all given a few perfunctory sentences and told to go.

Qi old general sat with the side, the heart is clear.

The assassination of the emperor, most likely related to the battle for the throne. On that day, the only one of the emperors who was not threatened by the arrows was King Li. The Empress at this moment every condolences, all appear to be intentional prying.

Not long after, Smoke Rou arrived at Chong Hua Hall, bringing her hometown’s cooking utensils, saying that the Emperor hadn’t eaten for a day, and that she wanted to roast meat for the Emperor.

Spicy meat flavor, along with the smell of smoke and fire, drilled into the tip of the emperor’s nose, he finally felt a hint of the joy of living.

Old General Qi consciously left the main hall so that the Emperor could be alone with his beloved woman and relax for a moment.

Duan Fei was outside the hall door, and after instructing the changing guards, he also walked outside with him.

At this moment, they were both a little saddened inwardly. At the beginning, they supported the Emperor to ascend to the throne together, and it was such a happy time.

Now, his son, who was eyeing the throne, even wanted to murder him and frame him for the crime. This kind of thing, anyone can not accept.

People ah, even if they are sitting in possession of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, gold mountains and jade sea, the heart of the most eager, or to be loved, the most afraid of being hurt, especially from the closest loved ones of the harm.

They entered the side hall, the empress dowager has been persuaded back to Ci Ning Palace. Imperial Noble Consort and King Qing and King Yun were visiting.

With regards to the Criminal Investigation Department’s reply just now, they tacitly did not even mention it publicly, only confirming that after the ginseng had been put into the medicine, King Yu’s pulse had gotten stronger before they went back with peace of mind.

Elder General Qi saw Rong Xiangmian’s haggard description and did not want to add to her burden, so he called Xiao Nan out to talk about the progress of today’s investigation and instructed a few words, “In these few days, if any of the emperors come to visit, you must be extra careful to watch them.”

Xiao Nan naturally understood and relayed the message to Rong Xiangmian.

And Xiao Bei went outside the North Palace Gate and met Mama Song and Meng Zhenru.

They brought over a change of clothes for the crown princess and His Highness.

Mama Song’s eyes were swollen from crying, pulling him straight to ask, “How is Xian Yang?”

“Still the same, sleeping all the time.” Xiao Bei finished and added, “The Empress Dowager’s thousand year old ginseng has been given to him, so he should be getting better soon.”

Meng Zhenru asked again, “What about the crown princess?”

“Alas, Wangfei has been very haggard these past few days, and hasn’t slept much.”

Meng Zhenru’s eyes immediately turned red, “Why is it that good people are always not rewarded?”

Xiao Bei gave her a ringing finger, “Who says good people don’t get good rewards? Master has crowned a Prince, and there are endless good days waiting for them in the future.”

“Well ……,” Meng Zhenru didn’t know, what’s different about being a Prince, only said, “Tell the Wangfei to rest assured. Nowadays, in the royal residence, the elder government officials, Grand Master Cao, and Mother Wei are keeping an eye on things, and everything is normal. We are waiting for their return.”

“Good, I will definitely convey it.”

“And you, take care of your rest, your eye circles are all black.” With that, Meng Zhenru turned around quickly and ran away.

Xiao Bei stood silently for a while, and returned to Chong Hua Hall, where the people visiting the sick had all left.

Rong Xiangmian was listening to Xiao Nan relay the words of Old General Qi just now.

“Someone is really trying to assassinate His Majesty. Could it be King Li? He has been closed for a long time, can he arrange these things?”

Xiao Nan said, “If it’s not King Li, Marquis Yong An will do. They are of one mind. They want to take advantage of the chaos to kill the emperor and our master. So as to help their highness to the throne.”

“Not ……” Rong Xiangmian felt wrong, “Li Wang was stripped of the title of Prince, now just a county king, still in the wrong grounded, and not the Queen’s own son. If His Majesty died suddenly, without an edict to pass on the throne, the ministers in the court would most likely propose to set up a long, or set up the King of Qing, who has the most honorable status.”

“Then …… is it King Kai or King Qing?”

Rong Xiangmian felt that he should think differently, “At that time on the school grounds, did you notice the position of these two highnesses?”

Xiao Bei put down his things and said, “The King of Qing and our master stood right next to each other, he was so scared that he couldn’t move at that time, or master swung his sword to block an arrow for him.”

Xiao Nan also had an impression, “Yes, King Qing was standing right next to our master, if he set up the trap, it would be too dangerous.”

Rong Xiangmian became more and more certain, “Where was King Qing at that time, do you guys remember?”

Xiao Nan and Xiao Bei thought for a while, they all shook their heads and ran through the Emperor’s position to the several princes’ stations, and they still couldn’t remember.

Rong Xiangmian suddenly realized, “Not remembering, is the answer, he should not have stood in front of His Majesty and the imperial sons at that time, so you guys don’t have any impression.”

Xiao Nan clapped his hands, “He deliberately walked away, he knew that someone was going to commit an assassination later!”

Xiao Bei was a bit disbelieving, “King Kai? Everyone knows that he’s not very capable and has little guts, he dares to commit regicide and treason?”

Rong Xiangmian laughed coldly: “He didn’t dare to. Because he has a more honorable King Li above him, and King Li has a Queen. Even if he succeeds in regicide, the throne will not be his turn. A few days ago I heard the royal concubine say, recently the Chengqian palace is highly cold, only the qi king couple often go to pay their respects.”

“Oh …… could he have hitched a ride with the Queen? Now that the Li King has been demoted, see abandoned to the Emperor, the Empress also feels that he is not useful, and has chosen another Kai King to hold.” Xiao Nan twirled her braid and guessed, “King Kai just needs to settle King Qing with a cold arrow, with the identity of the eldest son and the honorary position of the Prince of the Five Pearls, and with the support of the Empress, it’s only right that he inherits the great lineage.”

Xiao Bei didn’t quite believe it, “The Empress has raised King Kai for so many years, how can she just say change? What’s so good about King Kai?”

“King Kai is not good at anything! Only one thing, his mother died early.” Rong Xiangmian said, “The mothers of the remaining royal sons are all still alive, and they have all risen to the position of noble consort or consort. If the son inherits the throne, they are all going to be the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. The Empress will then be the Mother Empress Dowager, although her status in the harem will not be as good as before.”

“Just for this, they are going to join forces to kill so many people?” Xiao Bei felt that the hearts of the people in the palace were also too vicious. Obviously eating and wearing the best things in the world, yet they never seem to be satisfied.

Rong Xiangmian did not agree with this point: “The Empress should not know about this assassination. If the emperor is here for one day, she is the Empress of the Central Palace. She wouldn’t want anything to happen to the Emperor. It should be that as soon as King Kai got support, he couldn’t wait to strike. I don’t know if Marquis Yongan …… is involved.”

“Him? Isn’t he and the Empress on the same page?”

Rong Xiangmei was not sure. She sighed, “Let’s first see how the Emperor’s investigation goes. If Guanning and the school’s side never spits, we’ll have to think of a way.”

The court had always refrained from killing speech officials, so Guan Ning had suffered much less than the others at the Criminal Preceptor Department.

Fortunately, he was a scholar who couldn’t carry the punishment, and soon spat out: that aunt was the one he had sent to Song Yu by taking the opportunity of Song Yu’s desire to befriend and bring Shi Feng into the fold.

As for why he did so, he was authorized by the former Supervisory Court left Minister Zhu Meng, and do not know the inside story.

It turns out that this Guan Ning had done the hook of marrying a woman, was a paper lawsuit to the Supervisory Yuan, relying on Zhu Meng to smooth things over. Zhu Meng as a blackmail, he did not dare not comply, according to what he said, returned the favor.

As soon as he saw the three words of the Supervisory and Investigation Yuan, the emperor was so angry that he threw away the folders of the Criminal Justice Department.

“No wonder they made a move at this time, just because I just took care of the Supervisory Investigation Yuan! No wonder the Supervisory Inspection Yuan and the Imperial Historical Office joined forces to impeach Xian Yang at that time. Someone among them has been colluding for a long time!”

Shen Du Zhi picked up the folders with fear and trembling and gently put them back on the case.

The emperor suddenly asked, “Do you think this matter is related to the Marquis of Yongan?”

Shen Du Zhi looked embarrassed: “I am stupid, what does it have to do with the Marquis of Yongan if someone from the Supervisory Inspectorate commits a crime?”

The emperor laughed coldly: “Although I can’t conclude that they are from Marquis Yongan’s faction. However, they have long since planted the thunderbolt of Shi Feng, and besides the Zhang family, who would start working on Xian Yang as soon as he returned to the capital? It was because of the recent case of the Supervision and Inspection Center that they were in a hurry to set it off. To kill two birds with one stone, to assassinate me and frame Yang Xian, is really abominable!”

Shen Du Zhi was busy to persuade: “If the Emperor has doubts, just summon Marquis Yongan to ask him.”

The emperor simply do not listen to it, and he is angry: “I am thinking of him to pacify the sea invaders, to help open the sea market, his two sons are leniently sentenced, but also to protect his title honor, I did not expect him to be so ungrateful!”

Shen Duzhi was nervous, not knowing what the emperor would do in his anger.

Who would have guessed that after the emperor finished venting, he quickly calmed down and instructed the Criminal Investigation Department, “Keep this matter quiet for now. I always feel that this is not just the Marquis of Yongan so simple, he …… he is not so …… first wait for news from the school yard side.”

Then, also called the palace people to go forward to pass the decree, in the name of counseling dynasty politics, summoned Zhu Meng into the palace to discuss.

However, soon the criminal discipline division lieutenant came to report that there are several generals in the company crossbow battalion who killed themselves and died. It happened to be the same generals who had spoken with Shi Feng and borrowed a crossbow that day.

“They were in a hurry, and knowing that they couldn’t hide things, they killed to silence them!”

Seeing that the emperor was furious and the Criminal Investigation Department was a step late in its action, Xiao Gong was scared and immediately reported, “Fortunately, the Criminal Investigation Department went to the scene and tortured some of the people involved. Only then did he realize that after the incident, someone from the Liannu Battalion carried a body covered in white cloth out, and then followed the clues to control a key piece of evidence.

“What is it?”

“It’s a corpse whose entire head was stabbed by a sharp instrument.”