Chapter 178

"Uncle, Hu Hu has finished talking, why are you silent?"

Hu Hu stretched out his hand, "Give me back the candy or not?"

Wen Xiaochun stiffened his body and gave her the candy. Everyone present heard what Hu Hu said clearly. The eldest prince was stunned, "Is it true...?"

Are the remaining few in the palace so bold?

Poisoning the commander during war.

A team of factory guards from the Eastern Depot also looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wen Xiaochun: "Hu Hu, can you come back to the capital with your uncle? Your father left a lot of things at home in the capital, and His Majesty has collected them.

Come back to the capital with me and repeat what you just said in front of His Majesty, and His Majesty will give you all your father's things, okay?"

Hu Hu looked at the old butler.

Wen Xiaochun also looked up at him.

The old housekeeper said: "Is it useful for me to object? Mr. Wen has already made the decision for us."

"Thank you for your consideration."

Wen Xiaochun: "We have to trouble Master Cang to tell us where the market is. We need to buy some things that the children can use on the road."

For example, medicines.

Mr. Cui's adopted daughter is a key witness and nothing can happen to her on the way.

The eldest prince: "Give me the money and let me handle this matter."

Wen Xiaochun: "Okay."

The eldest prince got the money and quickly went back to buy what the child might need.

In half a day, all the items had been purchased. The people from the East Factory took this opportunity to rest and have a full meal. Then, without wasting any time, they took the old housekeeper and Hu Hu with them and set off for Beijing.

After they left.

When the eldest prince returned home, the two children were released by Shu Wenxin and were sleeping in the house.

Shu Wenxin asked in a low voice: "The East Factory came to visit, what's going on?"

The eldest prince recounted the incident with a complicated expression: "Someone pretended to be more powerful than the master and used the emperor's order to make my seventh brother drink poison, which resulted in him being injured and blind now."

Shu Wenxin suspected that she had heard it wrongly: "What?"

"How did you lie so that the Seventh Prince could believe it?"

The eldest prince said: "They are looking for Cui Rong's adopted daughter. I think it has something to do with Cui Rong."

"Master Cui is an old man employed by His Majesty," Shu Wenxin knew the former Master of the East Factory, "If he was the one who sent the poison..."

The two looked at each other and looked towards the direction of the capital at the same time.

The sun was shining brightly, but it seemed as if dark clouds were gathering towards the capital again.

Shu Wenxin: "The thunder has already accumulated, and the storm in the capital has never stopped."

The eldest prince suddenly felt somewhat relieved.

After leaving the capital, he gradually realized that a person like him who was born with a simple mind was not suitable to mediate with his brothers and ministers in the court.

If he had not left the capital so early, would he still have his whole family around him now?

Now that I no longer have wealth and power, my life is simple and peaceful, but I would not exchange it for any money.

-

Capital city.

The Imperial Palace.

Wen Xiaochun didn't feel tired at all while speeding along.

He was afraid that the news would leak out on the way, so he almost never stopped. When Hu Hu was tired, he could wrap himself in a cloth bag and sleep in the arms of the factory guard. When the old housekeeper was tired, he could only be tied with a rope and sleep on the shoulder of the man in front.

When they arrived outside the palace, Wen Xiaochun did not let them stay outside for a while, for fear of accidents, and brought them directly into the palace.

The guard at the palace gate stopped them and said, "Mr. Chang, who are you bringing with you? Have you been summoned? If not, you need to check their identities first, then notify them, and only after you are allowed to enter, you can be summoned."

Wen Xiaochun took out a scarlet token and narrowed his eyes: "I don't need to tell you what this is."

The Red Order from the East Factory is a special warning: anyone who blocks entry into the palace will be killed.

He is directly under the emperor and has the right to bring people directly into the palace under the red order.

Of course, if there is no major incident, anyone who moves the Red Order without authorization will also be killed.

The guard was frightened, stepped aside, and stretched out his hand, saying, "Mr. Factory, please!"

Outside the Zichen Palace.

Hu Hu hid beside the old housekeeper, and Wen Xiaochun went in to see Emperor Chongzhao.

Emperor Chongzhao had the pills he was about to take on the table and was waiting for the warm water to cool down.

"I heard from Zuo Tianlang that you even used the Red Order. You wasted this opportunity that comes once every six months. If it's not something important, I will punish you."

Wen Xiaochun: "Your Majesty asked me to investigate the paper money to redress the grievances and found the result."

Emperor Chongzhao: "How is it?"

Wen Xiaochun: “It’s true!”

Emperor Chongzhao slammed the table and said: "If you lie to me, you will lose your head."

"I have brought back a witness. It is Cui Huhu, the adopted daughter of Cui Rong, the factory owner of Cui. Your Majesty will know if I am lying once you ask me."

Emperor Chongzhao's chest heaved violently several times and he took a deep breath.

"Bring the man in."

He wanted to see who was the one who deserved to be cut into pieces and tripped Xiao Qi up behind the scenes, causing him to be in that state.

Cui Huhu was searched and came into the Zichen Palace with a frightened look on her face.

Wen Xiaochun: "I was ordered to investigate this case. When I was selecting poison for Concubine Lan in the secret cabinet, I found the address clue left by Cui Changgong. I thought that when I went to the court to deliver grain to the border, Cui Changgong also went with me. I had a hunch that he would know the inside story, so I went to the address on the clue to look for someone. As a result, I found Cui Changgong's adopted daughter."

Emperor Chongzhao vaguely knew Cui Huhu.

Because that old man Cui Rong occasionally mentioned it to him.

Emperor Chongzhao: "Where is Cui Rong?"

Wen Xiaochun: "He was being hunted down and has passed away."

"Hunting?"

"...I dare to guess," Wen Xiaochun lowered his eyes, "After Mr. Cui left the border and went to Shanming Pass, he was chased by someone and passed away after entrusting his adopted daughter to a trustworthy old man."

Wen Xiaochun touched the little girl's head and said, "How about telling the story of 'poison' to His Majesty again?"

Emperor Chongzhao had a bad feeling in his heart.

Cui Huhu nodded: "There was a big brother who was very good at fighting. The bad guys didn't want him to be so good, so they made him drink a poison that would cause great pain after drinking it."

"I asked my father, my elder brother is a little stupid, why not just not drink it? My father told me that it was the bad guys who used the saint's name, if my elder brother doesn't drink it, something bad will happen to the family..."

Emperor Chongzhao was furious: "Asshole!"

Hu Hu was startled and stunned for a few seconds. She pursed her lips and shed tears, then ran to the side and hugged the butler's legs.

"So fierce..."

The old housekeeper protected her, knelt on the ground and sighed: "The child can't explain it clearly, I will do it."

Obviously, what Cui Rong told him was more detailed than what he told Hu Hu.

He calmly recounted the truth about how Hu Hu was captured and Cui Rong was forced to obey, using the name of delivering the imperial dagger but actually sending poison.

"The vicious person behind the scenes came up with an idea. He told Cui Changgong to tell the Seventh Prince that if he didn't drink the poison, then Commander Xu would drink it. One of them must drink it."

"From what the Seventh Prince heard, it was Your Majesty who asked him to make a choice. But since the poison had already been delivered to him—" the old housekeeper's eyes turned red, "the Seventh Prince took the poison and left."

"The factory owner found Hu Hu and was hunted down to death."

What he said was much more detailed than what Hu Hu said. After all, he is an adult and remembers it more clearly.

Wen Xiaochun felt a chill in his heart, and his fingertips dug deeply into his palms. Every word uttered by the old housekeeper was like a hammer, driving sharp nails into his heart.

Every time it jumped, it hurt.

So, that's how it is.

Your Highness actually experienced such painful torture at the border.

The poison breaks bones and tendons every three days. The pain when it breaks out is like thousands of needles piercing the meridians. In total, the poison broke out more than thirty times in three months.

Your Highness still has to kill enemies on the battlefield and lead the army to charge.

How did he endure it?

Emperor Chongzhao said with a trembling voice, "If it is untrue..."

The old housekeeper said, "If it is not true, I will not have a good death."

Emperor Chongzhao grabbed the clothes on his left chest with his right hand, his vision began to blur and his breathing became rapid.

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"

"Open your mouth, Your Majesty, where is the medicine??"

When Eunuch Yu's horrified voice sounded, the Zichen Hall was instantly thrown into chaos.

The surroundings were noisy and he could not hear clearly, but his thoughts were clear. Emperor Chongzhao recalled what they had said in the Purple Palace that day when his youngest son had just returned to the capital:

【“You refuse to call me… Father, are you still blaming me for what happened with the weaving ceremony?”

"When I was a child, I cut my hand and cried in front of Your Majesty because crying out in pain worked. Now that I'm grown up, will crying out in pain still work in front of you?"

"As long as I am here, I will be effective."】

At that time, he was not very happy that Xiao Qi did not call him father but called him the unfamiliar "Your Majesty".

Although he called out later, it was also to get him to agree to let him go to Concubine Xuan's palace.

But at that time, in Xiaoqi's mind, it was his father who had just forced him to take poison and then said these caring words to him.

How hypocritical.

Is this what they mean when they say shouting in pain is useless?

Emperor Chongzhao's mind flashed back to the turmoil surrounding the Sixth Prince in the court some time ago, the stack of memorials he had read yesterday, and the faces of countless ministers with different expressions.

The final scene is when Qu Dubian returns to Beijing, and is pushed closer and closer in the wind and snow in front of the palace gate.

A fishy-sweet taste surged in his throat, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted.

"His Majesty--!"

-

The East Factory acted too quickly, and Wen Xiaochun even used the Red Order.

Qu Dubian received two pieces of news. One was that the truth about his taking poison was exposed, and the other was that Lao Deng was so angry that he fell into a coma.

"Is this what Cui Rong's adopted daughter said?" Qu Dubian was surprised.

But Cui Rong should have confessed everything to him at the beginning. Except for not knowing the real culprit behind the scenes, Cui Rong knew the whole truth.

He saw through the scheme to force him to take poison in the name of Lao Deng, and finally drank it because of the food and fodder for the soldiers on the border.

I didn't really believe it.

Ye Xiaoyuan nodded: "Indeed, the news from Zichen Palace cannot be false."

Qu Watanabe frowned slightly.

He did not interfere with Cui Rong's adopted daughter's return to Beijing because he had already found the evidence between Tang Yisu and his second brother, and the time had come to expose the matter.

Since Xiaochun took over the investigation of the matter, he went with the flow and let Lao Deng know the truth.

Then he would directly submit what he had found out, arrest Tang Yisu, and keep the situation under control, so as to minimize the harm to the people involved.

Unexpectedly, only half of the truth was revealed.

It would have been fine if Cui Rong didn't tell his daughter the truth. He could have captured someone and told him in the palace. But since he had told his daughter, what was the point of only telling half the truth?

Qu Watanabe: "Where is Tang Yisu now?"

"According to His Highness's instructions, he has been captured, but is still on the way." Yi Twelve said.

"Make sure he comes back alive. I want to enter the palace."

Qu Dubian took a thick cloak hanging on the shelf, put it on himself, walked out the door, and after taking two steps he remembered his blind persona when he was outside.

"Companion!"

Ye Xiaoyuan: “Here we come!”

Qu Dubian and Ye Xiaoyuan left in a hurry.

It is better to clarify this matter as soon as possible.

-

Outside the Zichen Palace.

When Qu Dubian arrived, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince had just arrived, but the Fifth Prince was not there.

"Seventh brother."

"Xiao Qi."

Qu Watanabe: "Second brother, fourth brother." After greeting them one by one, he sat on the wheelchair that Ye Xiaoyuan had someone carry up.

The Second Prince: "We all know what happened in the palace. Seventh brother, is what Cui Rong's adopted daughter said true?"

The Fourth Prince walked to Qu Dubian's side and placed his palm on his shoulder.

He had expressed his ambition since he was a teenager. He did not interfere in the fight for the throne, but went back and forth between his residence and the government office every day. He had power, but not much.

He has been living in mediocrity for so many years and has been watching the changes in the world with a cold eye, but with so many things happening in the capital recently, the vortex seems to be approaching him.

Especially this time.

The fourth prince felt vaguely uneasy.

He called out in a low voice: "Xiao Qi."

Qu Watanabe: "Second Brother, Fourth Brother, now is not the time to chat, let's wait for the news from inside."

He glanced in the direction of the Second Prince.

The Second Prince: "Of course, father's health is the most important."

He frowned slightly, and his right thumb unconsciously groped on the index finger in his sleeve. This was a small movement he made when he was thinking.

The three brothers each had their own thoughts in their minds. For a moment, the only sound outside the Zi Chen Hall was the silence was the whistling wind.

In the winter in the imperial palace, if there were no heating, even the floor tiles would be cold.

Qu Watanabe was still in the simulation state and had no real energy in his body. Even with a blanket covering his legs, his hands and feet quickly became cold.

About half a quarter of an hour later, there was movement in the Zichen Hall.

Eunuch Yu came out: "Your Highnesses."

The Second Prince: "Is Father awake?"

"Your Majesty is fine now. The three princes can rest assured," Eunuch Yu looked at Qu Dubian, "Your Majesty, please ask His Royal Highness Prince Yong to come in."

The Fourth Prince: "We don't have to go in?"

Eunuch Yu apologized, "His Majesty only said to let His Royal Highness Prince Yong come in. If the two Your Highnesses have anything else to do, you can go to the East Warm Pavilion and wait. I will report to His Majesty."

"Since Father only allowed my seventh brother to go in, we should go back first. I'm glad Father is alright."

Qu Dubian ignored their polite words and let Ye Xiaoyuan lead him directly into the Zichen Palace.

The hall was filled with a strong medicinal aroma.

Emperor Chongzhao was half lying on the bed, looking a little weak.

Doctor Yang was removing needles from the bed when he saw Qu Dubian coming. He stepped aside and left a small stool beside the bed.

Qu Watanabe sat down on this stool.

When Emperor Chongzhao saw him, he became agitated again. Just as he was about to speak, he coughed several times, "I, I..."

He grabbed Qu Watanabe's hand.

"I never told Cui Rong to poison you. I didn't."

As he spoke, he felt that his youngest son had too little trust in him and actually believed the words of a eunuch.

Doctor Yang was afraid that he would faint again, so Qu Dubian interrupted the spell and said, "I didn't believe him in the first place."

“………”

Emperor Chongzhao paused.

Qu Watanabe: "I chose to drink the poison, not because he used you to pressure me, but because someone used the food shipped to the border to pressure me."

"At that time, the food supply in Zhongyi City was almost exhausted. The logistics soldiers drank water to fill their stomachs, and the food was slow to arrive."

Qu Watanabe narrated the situation at that time one by one.

The emperor was afraid of being forced to take poison, which was the first level of coercion. If he found out, there was the second level of coercion, which was to give him food.

He could have sent a letter directly to Emperor Chongzhao and asked him to change the person who transported the grain.

But if he did so, the first batch of food shipped to the border would most likely be burned directly or suffer heavy losses. By then, it was unknown how many border soldiers would starve to death and whether the second and third batches of food could be successfully transported.

And, after escaping the food attack, what other tricks did the person behind the scenes have? Wouldn't it be even more difficult to guard against?

He compromised, food supplies were secured, and the northern border was successfully conquered.

Tang Yisu didn't know that he and Cui Rong had already confessed their true feelings, so he didn't know that he had been exposed under his nose.

He took advantage of the situation and stepped into the game, escaped from the fight for the throne, eliminated the possibility of his uncle being suppressed by the emperor again, and also followed Tang Yisu to find out the master behind him.

He kept everything under control.

The only price he paid was the loss of a general who would be of no use to the border in the future.

Of course, when he was narrating the story to Lao Deng, he did not mention his uncle, but instead emphasized his trust in Lao Deng.

It couldn't be true that he saw through Cui Rong at first sight.

Emperor Chongzhao was stunned at first, but after hearing the first part, the knot in his heart of "why don't you believe in me" disappeared invisibly. After hearing the middle part, he repeatedly suppressed his rising anger.

At the end, he turned his head and looked at the person who was calmly narrating what happened.

This was his youngest child before Sihe was born.

I raised him personally, and he was the child with whom I spent the most time. He was often tormented by the child and kept me awake all night long.

He had never been one to suffer any loss since he was little, but everything seemed to have changed since he turned fourteen.

He only used a simple sentence to describe the process of drinking the poison, and then analyzed the pros and cons without any emotion.

Eunuch Yu burst into tears when he heard this.

Although Doctor Yang was terrified that he had accidentally entered a secret scene of the royal family, he also felt sad when he heard it.

Qu Watanabe: "Tell us everything that happened. Tang Yisu is on his way back to the capital. Father should be able to see him soon."

It was a long time after he finished speaking, but Emperor Chongzhao did not say anything.

Qu Dubian raised his head slightly. The little figure of Emperor Chongzhao in his field of vision had no expression on his face. The simulator noted four words: half-absent-minded.

"……?"

He reminded: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhao: "So you also know who is behind this?"

"Maybe. We'll know after we interrogate and search them." Qu Dubian did not tell the results of his investigation immediately. He saw that Doctor Yang was extremely nervous.

Lao Deng just woke up from the shock, don't let anything happen again.

Now the Great Zhou has not yet appointed a crown prince, and the country is unstable. If this really happens, the Great Zhou will be in chaos again.

He was silent for a moment, then asked, "What if the person found is someone Your Majesty doesn't want to deal with?"

Emperor Chongzhao: "They used my name to force the commander to take poison. If I don't get to the bottom of this, I will be recorded in history books as a tyrant who poisoned his son out of fear of his meritorious service."

"I will not forgive the man behind this! I will give you justice."

Qu Watanabe still believed that the previous reason accounted for 90% of the truth.

"good."

He agreed.

If Lao Deng was partial.

We have to use some coercive measures.

Doctor Yang couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, you need to rest."

Qu Dubian stood up and said, "Then I won't bother you here anymore. I'll leave first. When we get to the capital, I'll hand it over to the East Factory, which is assisting in investigating this matter."

He took two steps and Emperor Chongzhao called him.

"You are my most outstanding child."

Qu Dubian looked back, and this compliment was probably expressed with a hint of heartache and guilt.

He replied: "I'm not the best, I just follow my heart."

Whether to go to the battlefield or not, whether to take poison or not, and the blood, fighting, and sinister plotting that he has to go through, are all his own choices.

There will be struggles and hesitations, but in the end you still have to move forward. When this life is over and you look back, perhaps you will have fewer regrets.

-

Two days later.

Tang Yisu was captured and brought to the capital. After the East Factory took over, he was directly thrown into prison.

The Second Prince’s Mansion.

"They arrested Tang Yisu?" The second prince showed a rare look of surprise on his face. "Didn't the East Factory find out that Cui Rong was instigated by someone to use the imperial power to force the seventh prince to take poison? How did he get involved?"

Mr. Deng said anxiously, "I don't know. Maybe it's because Tang Yisu and Cui Rong went to the border together? So he is also a suspect."

"Or maybe he was arrested for questioning and then released after the questioning."

What Qu Dubian said in the Purple Palace was temporarily blocked by Emperor Chongzhao.

The Second Prince: "Do you think the East Factory would mobilize a large force to arrest a person who has no major problems?"

Mr. Deng choked.

He said, "Now that Tang Yisu is involved in the affairs of the Seventh Prince, we must not let others know that he is your Highness's confidant, otherwise, I'm afraid that he will be stained with mud and can't be shaken off."

The second prince knew it very well.

He frowned.

The only thing he was thankful for was that he had chosen Tang Yisu to deliver the food.

He met Tang Yisu when he founded his government and initially established his own power. He was originally just a minor official in the south, but was promoted all the way to a relatively key position and was loyal to him.

More importantly, no one knew about their relationship except a few trusted people.

It will definitely not be found in a short time.

But we must arrange for the people from the East Factory to clear Tang Yisu of suspicion as soon as possible and let him leave the capital as soon as possible.

It really doesn't work...

The second prince narrowed his eyes and said, "Ask Chen Jian to come over when he is free."

Mr. Deng: “I understand.”

-

Cui Huhu and the old housekeeper lived in the house that Cui Rong previously lived in.

The East Factory specially sent people to guard it.

Cui Huhu ran around the place where she and her father had lived, sometimes happy, sometimes crying softly.

Although Cui Rong was also forced, Emperor Chongzhao still hated Cui Rong to the core for what he had done. The friendship between the knife and its master, which was already limited, was wiped out in an instant.

Although he did not touch Cui Rong's daughter, he was extremely disgusted in his heart.

The old housekeeper just watched the little girl playing by herself in the yard.

His mind went back to that day when Cui Rong was about to die, and he confessed everything that happened that day, including the forced surrender of food and fodder.

I just warned the old housekeeper that if anyone came to ask about this matter in the future, he should only tell them the first half and not know the rest.

Cui Rong was not sure how Emperor Chongzhao would deal with this matter in the end. If he chose to find an unimportant person in the royal family as a scapegoat, then they who knew half of the truth would be key witnesses and could survive.

If you knew everything, you might die.

The old housekeeper let out a deep breath.

Before he died, the factory owner told the young lady the story of "poison" so many times because he was afraid that she would not remember it or would remember the wrong key points.

All the planning for the last period of time was given to them.

-

The other side.

After leaving the Second Prince, Chen Jian took a detour and went to the Fifth Prince.