Chapter 179

The Fifth Prince’s Mansion.

Chen Jian told the Fifth Prince what had happened in the Second Prince’s mansion.

"Tang Yisu is Second Brother's man?"

The fifth prince was still ill and had just recovered. Upon hearing this, he sat up from the bed and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Chen Jian whispered, "Unless he already knew that I was your man, he would not have misled me like this."

"Besides, even if he knew I was your man, it doesn't make sense for him to mislead me like this. The people in the royal family are trying to avoid the Seventh Prince, so why would he stick to him so closely?"

The Fifth Prince: "He called you over. What does he want you to do?"

Chen Jian: "If Tang Yisu cannot get rid of suspicion, kill him if necessary."

"It's still unclear why Tang Yisu was arrested, and no news has leaked out of the Purple Palace. But since the East Factory arrested him, he is most likely related to the Seventh Prince's affairs."

The fifth prince looked gloomy.

Before he dealt a fatal blow to the Sixth Prince in the court, he asked the Second Prince whether he had anything to do with the Seventh Brother's affairs, and the Second Prince said no.

Even though he had his doubts, he knew that with the second brother's current power, he could not intervene in the northern border.

Later, the three counties of Xianghe offered grain as tribute, and the water transport envoy went to the northern border to transport the grain. He was worried that his second brother's father-in-law would secretly trip up Xiaoqi, so he was specially appointed as the transport supervisor of the capital, in charge of transporting grain.

Unexpectedly, the water transport envoy fell ill and was replaced by the deputy envoy.

News came that there was heavy rain at Shanming Pass and the food was delayed for a few days, but in the end it was all delivered safely. The same was true for the next two deliveries of food. Everything went smoothly until the end of the war.

But now that it has been confirmed that Tang Yisu is the second brother's man, it is very suspicious that he does not use his father-in-law, but instead lets this hidden thorn go.

The Fifth Prince: "Did he say anything else?"

Chen Jian: "No, I only said what I just said. I didn't ask too many questions. Given his personality, he would definitely get suspicious."

"I'm going to the East Factory." The fifth prince got out of bed.

“No.”

Chen Jian hurriedly stopped him, "The case of the Seventh Prince is under the full supervision of Wen Changgong, who has ordered that no one is allowed to enter the East Factory without permission, let alone get close to Tang Yisu. Even if you go, you will not be able to see him."

"Then what do you say?"

Chen Jian thought about it and said hesitantly: "In fact, the old steward may be hiding something...Your Highness can ask him more and see if you can find a way to open an opening."

-

After more than a day of easing, the situation stabilized under Emperor Chongzhao.

After Imperial Doctor Yang's diagnosis, he nodded and allowed him to receive slightly more stimulating information.

Qu Dubian organized the evidence at hand, went into the palace, and presented it to Emperor Chongzhao.

All written materials, Tang Yisu's place of origin, and his relationship with the second prince during this period were recorded in the book.

After reading it, Emperor Chongzhao placed one hand on his forehead and closed his eyes deeply.

Qu Watanabe: "Father, what are you going to do with it?"

Before the battle between Northern Frontier and Great Zhou broke out, the eldest brother went to Lingbei. Because of treason during the war, my grandfather's family was beheaded and became commoners. He farmed in Zhennan Pass for twenty years.

The fifth brother betrayed the sixth brother, disrupting the balance of the court. He was hated and rejected by the sixth prince's party, and Emperor Chongzhao also disliked this son the most.

The fourth brother has never managed the court properly. He just eats and drinks for free, has no power of his own, and has no interest in the throne.

Looking at the entire court, the only one left who can be recognized by the court officials is the second prince.

If he also dies, who will be the crown prince of this dynasty?

The eldest prince, the second prince, the third prince, and the sixth prince, the four of them could form a stalemate with each other, and Emperor Chongzhao had to play a role in balancing and training them. He also put a lot of thought into choosing the best and most suitable person to inherit the throne.

As a result, over the past decade or so, some have been demoted, some have been injured, and some have been disabled.

Emperor Chongzhao asked Qu Dubian to go back, and then summoned the second prince alone.

As soon as the second prince arrived, he felt that the atmosphere was not right.

He bowed respectfully.

"Your son greets His Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhao: "I asked you to come here just to ask you two things."

The Second Prince: "Father, please speak."

Emperor Chongzhao: "You, you intervened when there was no grain transport at the border."

The second prince's heart skipped a beat, "No."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Tang Yisu, is he your man?"

The second prince was silent.

He asked in return: "Father, why do you ask this? Tang Yisu was arrested. Does that implicate me?"

Emperor Chongzhao hummed, "It has something to do with you."

The Second Prince: "Your son——"

"alright."

Emperor Chongzhao said, "You can go back."

The second prince paused, with deep wrinkles between his brows. He could only lower his head and respond, then turned around and walked back.

After walking a few steps, Emperor Chongzhao said, "Three days later, when the Yongwang case is tried, you and your brothers will all come to the Dali Temple courtroom."

-

Fang Mansion.

Xi Zixing: "The case is being tried now? The East Factory failed to find the key clues. After His Majesty summoned the Seventh Prince, he also summoned the Second Prince, but we don't know what they talked about."

Except for Qu Dubian, Emperor Chongzhao, Eunuch Yu, Imperial Physician Yang and Ye Xiaoyuan, they were all unaware that the Seventh Prince took poison because he was forced to do so due to the shortage of food supplies.

"Let all the princes go. Since you have mentioned the trial, His Majesty should have an idea in mind."

Master Fang pondered, "However, they only mentioned the trial, but didn't say how to do it."

"There are a lot of tricks involved."

He discussed with Xi Zixing for a long time. After Xi Zixing left Fang Mansion, he went straight to the Seventh Prince's Mansion and found Qu Dubian.

Qu Dubian was training a dog in the yard.

A group of Paw Patrol are all over one year old, combining the advantages or disadvantages of the Five Black Dogs and the Iron-clad Gold. Some of them are very handsome, while others are uniquely ugly.

He squatted on the ground and said to the puppies, "Turn around."

"shake hands."

"sit down."

"Good dog."

Xi Zixing stood at the gate of the courtyard and looked for a long time.

It is unclear how this blind guy could tell that the puppy was doing something wrong.

"You seem so relaxed, as if you're not worried at all."

Qu Dubian heard the voice and asked, "You want to eat the pancakes I made?"

That time he put a copper coin in his small money basket and said that he would come to eat cakes with him, but he never came, and he waited in vain for several days.

Xi Zixing was silent for a while: "You didn't tell me what happened at the border. Do you think I can't help?"

Qu Dubian stroked the dog's head.

"No, I just don't want to involve you."

Xi Zixing's ears moved, and he caught the word "you guys" accurately. He felt a little less depressed. It seemed that not only him, but also Xia Fuyang was kept in the dark.

At first, he really thought that Xiao Qi was accidentally injured on the battlefield, which led to his current appearance. Unexpectedly, when the truth was revealed, someone actually plotted against him.

Xizi walked up to him and squatted down as well.

After a while, Qu Watanabe still did not wait for his questions or accusations, or other doubts that he had heard countless times during this period.

Qu Dubian pushed a dog towards him: "Come, touch it——"

"Now that the matter is settled, can I go with you to your fiefdom?" Xi Zixing asked in a low voice.

"..." Qu Dubian paused for a moment before saying, "You have a bright future in the court."

Xi Zixing: "The court doesn't lack a champion."

He reached out and took the dog from Qu Dubian's hand.

Qu Watanabe: "We will always be friends. If this is what you wish, there will always be a place for you to rest in my fiefdom."

Xi Zixing smiled freely, and his mood became visibly brighter.

"good."

Here he ate the pancakes and shouzhufan made by Qu Dubian. After returning, he wrote a contraband letter to the border as he had discussed with Master Fang.

Meanwhile, Qu Dubian was sitting in the study, writing a letter halfway through and then stopped.

"Banban, am I being too distant with my friends?"

Ye Xiaoyuan thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there are some."

Qu Watanabe: "This distance is very hurtful."

Ye Xiaoyuan saw something and said with a smile, "It depends on the situation. If it's an ordinary friend, he might feel relaxed if you don't ask him for help. If it's a very important friend, he would probably feel disappointed if you don't ask him for help."

Qu Dubian continued to write: "I understand."

-

border.

Xia Fuyang received the letter.

The above details the recent events in Beijing:

Xiao Qi was indeed framed, and His Majesty has agreed to investigate the matter.

Xia Fuyang: "What a bastard..."

Not wanting the Xia family to get involved, he just quietly took on everything by himself.

After the East Factory was brought to an end, he conducted his own secret investigation. Now that the matter has been basically clarified, the news has reached him.

It was Xi Zixing who told him.

He suppressed the bitterness in his heart and lowered his head to continue reading the letter.

Xi Zixing was also kept in the dark at the beginning, but Xiao Qi treated him equally, which made him feel a little better.

The brief introduction in this letter is very clear in purpose. Up to now, I still don't see that this guy is being shameless.

——Until he saw the end.

"…The letter explains everything clearly. When the matter is settled, I will resign and accompany His Highness on a tour outside the capital, settling in His Highness' fiefdom. I don't know where the fiefdom is, or whether the food will suit my taste. However, I will often accompany His Highness in the future. Even if you are not used to the food at first, you will get used to it after a long time."

Xia Fuyang: "..."

He thought of his troubles at the border.

The construction of the Northern Frontier Protectorate, the resettlement of disabled soldiers, the pensions for the families of deceased soldiers, the conflicts that needed to be resolved with the remaining Northern Frontier people after the annexation of Northern Frontier...all fell on the shoulders of him and Prince Ming.

He was even more tired than when he was in the war. He had to deal with official business as soon as he opened his eyes. It would take him two or three years to finish it.

He clenched the envelope and cursed fiercely.

After taking several deep breaths, he got up and went to find Xu Jin.

Unexpectedly, Xu Jin was also looking for him. The old man had a very ugly expression on his face, and his hostility and emotions that were about to explode made people stay away from him.

"Xu Hou?"

Xu Jin: "Xiao Xia, come here, I have something to tell you."

"Then we are probably talking about the same thing," Xia Fuyang shook the letter in his hand, "Xi Zixing asked us to submit a petition in the name of all the soldiers on the border, asking for Xiao Qi's case to be tried in court."

"The memorial needs the seal of the commander-in-chief. You are Xiao Qi's grandfather, so your influence is even greater. It is very appropriate to speak to you at this time."

Xu Jin: "I came to see you because Xiao Qi wrote me a letter and specifically mentioned that your name should be on the list. He needs your help."

Xia Fuyang's lips curled up subconsciously, his eyes lit up slightly: "Did he really write that?"

"How could I lie to you?" Xu Jin showed him the letter directly.

Xia Fuyang's mood, which had been ruined by Xi Zixing, suddenly improved a lot. He muttered, "That's right. You always make me feel like an outsider..."

Xu Jin: "What did you say?"

"It's all right."

Xu Jin: "Then let's write together."

No wonder his good grandson didn't tell him. It turned out that the truth was this. If he had told him earlier, even if Xu Jin was dead, he would have to go to the capital to find out the traitor behind the scenes and chop him into 108 pieces.

Fortunately, my grandson had a way out and was not really harmed by the villain.

Another day passed.

Emperor Chongzhao received memorials from the border and Zhennan Pass at the same time.

The soldiers on the border were very excited, and all the commanders left their seals on the memorial, requesting a fair trial for the seventh prince.

Xu Tingfeng of Zhennan Pass wrote a letter to the court in his capacity as the commander-in-chief, also requesting a fair trial for the seventh prince's case.

Early morning.

Grand Tutor Fang, along with his students and many influential officials in the court, requested a fair trial for the seventh prince.

Emperor Chongzhao decided in public: "In the Mingtang of the government office, I will personally try this case!"

Tomorrow at noon, the Dali Temple will try the case of His Royal Highness Prince Yong.

The emperor is here, and the world is informed.

Civil and military officials, common people, border soldiers, everyone's attention was focused on the capital.

-

The second prince returned to his mansion.

He stopped in front of the door, with his hands behind his back, looking at the golden "Second Prince's Mansion" on the steps, with a calm expression.

After a moment, he walked in.

Mr. Deng was extremely anxious. "Second Prince, please think about it. We will go to court tomorrow. You..."

The Second Prince: "Tang Yisu cannot die."

Mr. Deng paused: "But what is his relationship with you?"

The Second Prince: "From what my father said before, my relationship with Tang Yisu has probably been exposed. Now that we are already involved, I can't get away without bleeding a little."

"Then I'll let Chen Jian..."

"Chen Jian is no longer useful."

Mr. Deng was shocked.

The second prince said, "I asked him to kill Tang Yisu before, but he has not succeeded so far. I know that he is useless."

"There are still a few useful pawns in the East Factory. Find the one you trust the most and tell him on the way to the Dali Temple when Tang Yisu is released from prison tomorrow..." the second prince whispered a few words.

Mr. Deng: “I understand.”

He left in a hurry.

The second prince opened the window and stood alone by it for a long time.

"Calculate, counter-calculate."

He looked into the yard.

Today's carved beams and painted buildings will not survive tomorrow.

-

The second day.

East Factory.

Inside the prison.

Tang Yisu was lying on a narrow bed, his whole body tied up, with a dripping water above his head, dripping onto his forehead.

The water drops do not fall at a uniform speed. The water drops falling at a uniform speed can allow people to meditate for a period of time, while the water drops falling at a non-uniform speed can make the average person become anxious, depressed, and on the verge of mental breakdown within ten hours.

The punishment of dripping water does not see blood, but it kills people.

He hadn't closed his eyes for a long time, and there was a horrifying scarlet in his eyes, as if there was blood in them.

Wen Xiaochun grabbed his collar and tied him up.

Tang Yisu shivered subconsciously when he saw him, and said in fear: "I didn't hurt anyone, I didn't hurt His Royal Highness Prince Yong, I have nothing to do with the Second Prince..."

Wen Xiaochun ignored him and took him to the Dali Temple.

-

Outside the Dali Temple, the imperial guards stood in rows.

The emperor sits high in the court.

Qu Dubian and the Fourth Prince sat on the left, and the Second, Third and Fifth Princes sat on the right.

The three regent ministers Fang Hechuan, Xi Shiqiu and Lin Zongping were also on both sides. In addition, there were the six ministries' secretaries including Xi Zixing, and personnel from the Censorate.

The hall was extremely quiet.

The people outside pushed Tang Yisu in and made him kneel in the hall.

Tang Yisu was very haggard, and he knelt down and kowtowed: "I, your humble servant, greet your Majesty."

Emperor Chongzhao: "I want to ask you, did you make any mistakes when you were delivering food to the border?"

Tang Yisu glanced in the direction of the Second Prince.

The second prince picked up the teacup unnoticeably.

Tang Yisu said, "No, your Excellency."

Emperor Chongzhao: "You know the Second Prince?"

Tang Yisu: “I don’t know him.”

Chen Jian said: "If we didn't know each other, how could the Second Prince find me in private and let me find a chance to kill you?"

Tang Yisu's face changed drastically: "Kill me?!"

Chen Jian: "I am the deputy governor of the East Factory, how could I lie to you?" He saluted and said, "Your Majesty, everything I said is true."

"Tang Yisu, why don't you come here quickly!"

“Your Highness, you actually want to kill me.” Tang Yisu seemed to be in despair, crawling half a step forward in grief and anger: “I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong! I, I have a connection with the Second Prince, he asked me to do something…”

The second prince put down his teacup and shouted, "What did you say?"

Emperor Chongzhao: "Second brother."

Tang Yisu: "When the grain was being transported, the Second Prince ordered me to fabricate evidence that the Fifth Prince had embezzled grain." He closed his eyes in pain, "But other than that, there is nothing else. Your Majesty, please investigate!"

Emperor Chongzhao: "Is what he said true?"

The second prince clenched his fists tightly, finally stood up and knelt in front of the hall.

His eyes turned red in an instant and his tone was full of regret.

"My son and my sixth brother have always had conflicts in the court, and my fifth brother has always helped my sixth brother. I was tempted to come up with a trick to frame my fifth brother, but I didn't really carry it out. I stopped at the last moment."

"Even so, I still feel extremely regretful. I toss and turn and cannot fall asleep. Since this has been known to the world today, I am willing to accept the punishment!"

As expected, Chen Jian jumped out at this time and pointed out him.

Since his relationship with Tang Yisu has been exposed, he might as well just reveal it.

Tang Yisu: "If the Second Prince didn't want to kill me, I wouldn't have said it. But the Second Prince didn't really frame the Fifth Prince."

Emperor Chongzhao: "That's all?"

Qu Watanabe: "I do have evidence from my second brother and Lord Tang about the plot against my fifth brother." He handed over the backup he had copied from the dark web.

After reading it, Emperor Chongzhao gave it to the fifth prince.

The fifth prince smiled and said, "Second brother, what a good trick."

The Second Prince: "It is my second brother who is sorry for you."

He kowtowed and said, "Father, please punish me."

Qu Watanabe clapped his hands.

Yi Twelve came in from outside, holding a plate with a small green bottle on it. There was still some residual liquid in the bottle. "This was found in Tang Yisu's bag. There was also a Northern Frontier Tendon Grass flower in it, but it has withered."

The small green bottle is exclusive to the secret cabinet of the Eastern Depot. It looks like an ordinary bottle that can be bought on the roadside, but in fact there are tiny marks on the details, which are used to record the time of entry into the cabinet and to distinguish the authenticity.

After Wen Xiaochun identified it, he nodded to Emperor Chongzhao and said, "Really? This is the bottle that is missing from the secret room of the East Factory."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Second Brother, do you know that Lord Tang beside you used food to force Prince Yong to take poison at the border?"

The second prince looked up suddenly, "What?"

The whole room was shocked.

After all, the well-known version now is that someone threatened Cui Rong and forced Prince Yong to take poison in the name of His Majesty. Why did the issue of food come up again now?

Eunuch Yu stepped forward dutifully and explained the whole story.

After hearing this, Fang Taifu stood up from his chair in anger and pointed at Tang Yisu with a shaking finger, "Vicious! Extremely vicious! That grain was even donated by the people of the three counties for Prince Yong. How could it become a weapon for the traitor to frame Prince Yong?"

"If the people of the three counties knew about this, wouldn't everyone be outraged?"

Tang Yisu said aggrievedly: "This bottle was given to me by Cui Rong, who asked me to bring it back and bury it randomly in a temple as a prayer."

"That's nonsense!" The old housekeeper came in from outside, lifted his skirt and knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, I have concealed the truth from you a few days ago."

"When the master passed away, he told me that he was threatened by Tang Yisu along the way. If I didn't do as he asked, he would kill the master's daughter. Tang Yisu, don't play innocent. You are the pawn of the mastermind behind the scenes!"

The fifth prince stood up and explained, "He didn't tell the truth before because he was worried about being assassinated by someone in the capital. He only dared to tell the truth after I repeatedly promised that I would protect his and Cui Rong's daughter's lives."

We have both witnesses and material evidence.

The second prince slowly straightened up and knelt on the ground.

He turned his head and looked at Tang Yisu calmly: "Who do you belong to?"

Xi Shiqiu couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the Second Prince see the evidence on the case? You admitted earlier that you were the one who instigated Tang Yisu to frame the Fifth Prince. Now you're denying it?"

The Second Prince: "I admit that I attacked my fifth brother, but it was definitely not me who threatened my seventh brother with food and fodder at the border and forced him to take poison."

Master Fang: "Before the Second Prince came down, he didn't know that Cui Rong and the Seventh Prince had already confessed and sold out Tang Yisu. If you knew, would you still admit your relationship with Tang Yisu? You confessed that you framed the Fifth Prince. Aren't you trying to use a minor crime to get rid of the suspicion of a major crime?"

The second prince spoke word by word: "This was not my fault."

Tang Yisu remained silent despite all the questioning.

One refused to admit it, and the other refused to speak even if beaten. The situation was about to become deadlocked. If it continued like this, the interrogation would be extended to the second and third day.

There are more variables.

The fifth prince thought back to last night, when he learned the whole truth from the old housekeeper.

The old housekeeper said, "Speaking of which, you have a really good relationship with His Royal Highness Prince Yong. After all, if he doesn't take the poison, Tang Yisu will destroy most of the grain, and then he will put all the blame on you. Your Royal Highness Prince Yong probably doesn't want you to be punished..."

He found it extremely ironic.

What he thought was his protection of Xiao Qi turned out to be a handle for others to threaten him.

The fifth prince had gone half crazy many years ago, and the main reason he was still alive was to protect the golden pig pendant.

This was the only reason that supported him.

At that time, he thought that the second brother must die.

But how many crimes does it take to kill a prince?

The fifth prince knelt on the ground and said in a deep voice: "I am touched by the fact that my second brother took the initiative to admit that he framed me. I also have a few things I want to say."

Emperor Chongzhao's eyelids twitched.

What influence?

The Fifth Prince: "Third brother's broken arm was a conspiracy between me and my second brother. My second brother made the suggestion and I did some work. The Shu family embezzled disaster relief funds, which was also planned and calculated by my second brother in secret. All the evidence is stored in the secret room in my mansion. Although the Li family took the initiative to resell weapons, they had this idea because of the words of my second brother's men."

He bowed heavily.

"Every word I said is true. If I lied, I would make my late mother rest in peace in her grave!"

Emperor Chongzhao stood up suddenly: "You——!"

Qu Watanabe squeezed the armrest tightly: "Fifth brother."

The third prince was stunned for a few seconds, and a ferocious and terrifying look gradually appeared on his face. He pounced madly towards the second prince and the fifth prince.

“Aaaaaaah!!”

"I'm going to kill you! Kill you!"

He fell to the ground with a thud, waving his one arm wildly, tearing desperately at the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince.

"You've left me disabled for so many years, separated me from my family, and made me a laughing stock! I'll kill you!"

The scene became extremely chaotic in an instant.

A large amount of the second prince's hair had been pulled out, and his neatly combed and noble appearance disappeared. His golden headband and jade hairpin fell to the ground with clanging.

The jade hairpin broke into three pieces.

Eunuch Yu: "Someone, quickly pull the princes apart!"

The people from the Eastern Depot quickly stepped forward and dragged the Third Prince away. The Third Prince looked horrible, with deep hatred in his eyes.

Emperor Chongzhao never dreamed that today's scene would turn out like this.

This really makes people see the royal family make a fool of themselves.

He glanced at the Fifth Prince, with obvious disgust in his eyes.

The case being tried today is that of Prince Yong. Even if you want to talk about something else, you can do so in private. Bringing it up now would only bring shame to the entire royal family!

The fifth prince looked up at Emperor Chongzhao and could clearly see the disgust and anger in his eyes.

He suddenly felt such great joy that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Your Highness," Tang Yisu cried, "Please don't slander Your Highness and put all the blame on me. I am willing to take the blame for Your Highness. It was all my idea..."

He staggered to his feet.

Wen Xiaochun was instantly alert: "Kneel down!"

Flames suddenly ignited on Tang Yisu's body, spreading across his body quickly.

He danced in the hall.

There was screaming in the hall.

"Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"

Qu Dubian was quickly pulled to a safe place by Yi Twelve, and the East Factory and the Imperial Guards quickly surrounded them, firmly protecting several princes and Emperor Chongzhao.

Tang Yisu looked at the Second Prince and said with an excited smile: "As long as I die, Your Highness will not be implicated by me. Although Your Highness wants to kill me, I will still be loyal to you."

"As long as I die, you will be fine..."

Because of the pain, his words were incoherent, and his face in the flames was burned into a distorted shape, which was extremely horrible.

By the time the water from outside was brought in, Tang Yisu had already fallen to the ground, dying.

He rolled in agony, mumbling something inaudible in the flames:

"I am loyal to my master, my master lives forever, I am born from grafting, I love trees and spring comes..."