Chapter 167 Chapter 167 is the only genuine version...
Shen Xu's voice was feminine, as if he was saying something that was a matter of course.
When King Jin heard this, his scalp went numb and his eyes widened.
"You framed me?!" King Jin exclaimed.
Then he shook his head and said, "The Emperor will never believe your one-sided statement. Don't try to deceive me with such words."
Having said that, King Jin was somewhat uneasy.
Shen Xu was one of the few people who could have a say in front of the emperor. The last time the emperor suspected him, it was because Shen Xu was instigating discord.
After that, the relationship between the emperor and him became worse day by day.
Prince Jin's expression changed several times in an instant. He stared at Shen Xu, trying to find some flaws in his face.
However, all he got was: "Have you made up your mind, Your Majesty?"
"Meow."
Shen Mao sensed a breath that made him quite happy, and his little nose twitched.
Just as it was about to pounce, Chen Xu slapped it down.
King Jin stared at the severed palm in the Fanzi's hand and weighed the pros and cons secretly.
"Go," Shen Xu's eyes were deep, his fingertips tracing across Shen Mao's sleek fur. His tone was cold and indifferent. "Serve Prince Jin well."
"yes."
The two guards responded and stepped forward with whips in hand.
The whip was pitch black, with over a hundred sharp barbs on it, soaked in chili water. With each lash, the barbs scraped against the skin, literally ripping off a layer of flesh.
And this was just the lightest punishment imposed by the East Factory.
"There's no need for Lord Shen to take action, I say."
"This king has never colluded with the Ji clan, nor did he know that Changfeng was a demon."
Prince Jin completely rejected the offer, straightened his back, and said, "Sir, please report this to the Emperor."
"I am loyal to the Emperor and willing to do anything for him." He said this with a hint of meaning, and then added, "I hope the Emperor will understand."
These old-fashioned talks did not arouse Shen Xu's interest at all.
Snap! The guard swung the long whip in his hand, catching the King of Jin off guard on the arm.
King Jin screamed in horror.
“Chen Xu!”
How dare you yell in front of the governor! With an expressionless face, the guard raised his whip again.
Gu Zhizhuo: "Wait."
The long whip was held in the hand of the guard. His hand was raised high and he did not pull it down. The drooping whip tip was reflected in the pupils of King Jin.
"Your Highness, once you are injured, it will never heal. The wound will continue to bleed until you become a dried corpse and die."
"Do you really dare to take the whip a second time?"
King Jin's eyes widened.
He stared at his arm intently. The barbs on the whip had torn his sleeve, peeling off his flesh, and bright red blood was dripping slowly.
He suddenly thought of an extremely terrifying thing. What would happen if Gu Zhizhuo was right and his wound could not heal?
The hundreds of barbs had left at least a hundred tiny cuts on his body. If all of these cuts started bleeding profusely, the best outcome would be death after the blood had drained out.
I'm afraid that I'll end up like Yun'er, living a life worse than death.
Gu Zhizhuo stared at his confused face and said again, "Your Highness, do you remember that I once read your fortune?"
The King of Jin was startled and shuddered.
Gu Zhizhuo repeated in a gloomy voice, "From now on, fame, wealth and honor are all in vain, and the severance of the bloodline is imminent."
King of Jin:!
Of course he remembered that after that day, he went to Taiqing Temple, Longhu Temple, Yuanshi Temple... He went to all the Taoist temples in the capital and looked for several Taoist masters.
They had read his fortune and interpreted his misfortunes for him, and they all said that there was nothing serious, so he didn't take it seriously, thinking that Gu Zhizhuo was just talking nonsense and being mysterious.
He had gradually forgotten it, and until now, listening to Gu Zhizhuo repeating every word, King Jin felt like someone had poured a large basin of ice water over his head in the middle of winter.
I was freezing cold all over.
Yun'er has become like this, there is almost no hope. Will the bloodline of Prince Jin's Mansion really be cut off?
What was he working so hard for all his life?!
Blood was dripping from King Jin's arm and dripping onto the ground.
He hated the emperor with all his heart.
Changfeng had met all the princes of the previous emperor. Except for the deposed crown prince, only the then Prince Rong had a trace of dragon energy in him, so only Prince Rong had the possibility of success.
He helped him succeed.
He promised him the highest position among the officials.
And now, just because of Shen Xu's few words of provocation, he was going to abandon himself.
At this juncture, he took advantage of the situation and handed himself over to Shen Xu.
"Your Highness is a wise man." Gu Zhizhuo played with the pendant hanging from his round fan. "The East Depot was ordered to interrogate you. A few lashes are no big deal. But, Your Highness, can you bear it?"
After saying that, he smiled at Chen Xu: "Right, Lord Governor."
Chen Xu snorted coldly, without commenting.
Prince Jin calmed down. Indeed, even if Shen Xu didn't dare to hurt him openly, he could still whip him a few times during the interrogation. He might not have been afraid before, but now, he didn't dare to take it at all.
He will die.
He will die like Changfeng, neither human nor ghost.
He gritted his teeth and said to Chen Xu, "I can testify that Changfeng is a demon. Ten years ago, he colluded with bandits and framed the Yin family of Blackwater Fort. Six years ago, the late emperor was on a southern tour and summoned Changfeng to preach. He accidentally discovered this and secretly poisoned the late emperor."
"All of this was done by the Changfeng Demon Dao."
"I allowed the demon to live in my palace just to find out the truth. Now the truth is revealed. As for his collusion with the Ji family, I was not aware of it."
Prince Jin said righteously, "Lord Shen, please go and report."
Chen Xu gripped the armrest of the armchair, veins bulging on the back of his hands.
Prince Jin took a step forward and said, "Chen Xu, no matter how much the emperor doubts me, he will not give me up easily."
"Your life and death, honor and disgrace now all depend on the Emperor alone. Do you really want to fight to the death with me? Why don't we stop here and discuss our grudges later?"
"This whipping, I will not hold it against you. I will consider it as paying back the blood debt owed to Blackwater Castle."
Prince Jin flicked his sleeves, and his bloody arms and tattered clothes made him look a little disheveled.
"how?"
Shen Xu was silent for a long time.
Gu Zhizhuo understood his trade-offs.
The Prince of Jin had too many handles on the Emperor. He had, overtly or covertly, planted countless people around the court, both civil and military officials, holding countless handles. Just like how the Prince of Jin had placed the actress Sese next to the Grand Princess, he easily brought down both Gong Hai and the Grand Princess.
Therefore, even though King Jin was imprisoned for a few days, he was not afraid at all.
He said all this just to use Shen Xu's mouth to warn the emperor so that the emperor would not dare to give him up easily.
Rehabilitating the Yin family is Shen Xu's weakness.
As for the cause of the late emperor's death...it doesn't matter whether it was Changfeng, Prince Jin, or the emperor who poisoned the late emperor. What matters is that the deposed prince was deposed for regicide and patricide. Once it is confirmed that the deposed prince has nothing to do with this matter, the prince, the crown prince, will no longer have a stain.
In just a few words, the King of Jin proposed a condition that benefited all parties and was reluctant to refuse.
"Your Highness," Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, bargaining, "How about adding the Five Military Commandery?"
Jin Wang Ying frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"
"The prince is half dead. I'm afraid he can't take on the post of Left Commander. Your Highness, why don't you do him a favor?"
Prince Jin suddenly looked at Gu Zhizhuo, his eyes gleaming with sharpness: "You really dare to ask for it!"
"It's business. You've made a price, so you have to allow me to bargain." Gu Zhizhuo waved his round fan and smiled. "Can the prince still ride a horse? Can he go out now?"
"The Crown Prince hasn't taken office yet anyway, so the position of Left Admiral is in your hands, so you're just sitting there doing nothing."
The Five Military Commandery managed the military register, selected generals, and controlled the imperial guards. He had finally gotten it, and giving it away would be like cutting off an arm.
Prince Jin stared at her intently: "Miss Gu has a really big appetite."
"Your Majesty, will you give it to me or not?"
King Jin was silent for a long time.
He had always heard that Miss Gu was a person who would pluck feathers from passing geese, and this time, she was plucking him.
"I will give it to you. But..." His eyes moved back and forth between Gu Zhizhuo and Shen Xu, a forced smile on his face. "To whom should I give this 'favor'?"
Prince Jin had no way of judging what kind of relationship existed between Chen Xu and Miss Gu.
He could only guess that either Shen Xu had defected to Xie Yingchen, or he had cooperated with Xie Yingchen, and Miss Gu now represented Xie Yingchen.
Regardless of the former or the latter, Shen Xu put in so much effort, but ended up getting the imperial guards for Xie Yingchen. How could he be willing to accept that?
If a "Left Admiral" can make two people turn against each other, it will undoubtedly be a profit.
Miss Gu was too anxious.
That's too greedy.
"Master, what do you think?" Gu Zhizhuo asked with a faint smile. It was as if they were not talking about the Five Military Commandery, but just a small gadget that could be bought on the street.
"Whatever you say." Shen Xu's tone was full of irritation and impatience.
His emotions were almost suppressed to the extreme, his eyes were slightly narrowed, and his eyes were filled with violence.
"I decide?"
Shen Xu said nothing.
"Master Sheng, are you interested in staying somewhere else?"
As soon as these words came out, Sheng Jiang and Prince Jin looked at her at the same time.
Wait! He acted on his own without even consulting Xie Yingchen?! The Prince of Jin was shocked. This was the Five Armies Commandery!
Chen Xu raised his eyelids, glanced at Gu Zhizhuo, and said, "Okay."
Sheng Jiang was both surprised and delighted. He wanted to smile, but he didn't want to lose his composure in front of the governor, so his face twitched. Although he would definitely take over as the commander of the Jinyiwei after the new year, the Left Admiral of the First Rank, in charge of all the troops, was far from a mere commander.
Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands lightly and said happily, "Your Highness, it's settled."
The uneven distribution of spoils that King Jin had expected did not happen at all.
Shen Xu is so suspicious, has he never thought that Gu Zhizhuo is trying to win over Sheng Jiang?
Sheng Jiang is Chen Xu's confidant, he shouldn't be so indifferent. Chen Xu's attitude makes King Jin a little unpredictable for a while.
Chen Xu released the small jade token he was holding in his palm. There was still some blood on the token.
His mind has calmed down.
With just one glance, Sheng Jiang immediately understood and ordered people to prepare writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone.
Sheng Jiang said coldly, "Your Highness, please sign and seal this document."
The table was brought before Prince Jin.
Prince Jin sighed secretly. Once he wrote down the confession in his own handwriting, it would be equivalent to breaking off relations with the emperor.
However, he had to find a way to make a living for himself.
Prince Jin made up his mind, picked up the pen, and wrote everything in a flash. Then he leaned his hands weakly on the table, letting the blood drip.
Gu Zhizhuo raised his eyebrows at Chen Xu. Look, a small frame-up can make these two people bite each other first and tear off a piece of flesh.
"Hmph." Chen Xu made a sound through his nose, not bothering to pay attention to her.
The ink dried quickly, and Sheng Jiang presented the confession to Shen Xu.
After Shen Xu finished reading, he motioned for Gu Zhizhuo to take a look as well, and then said, "Sign it."
He exuded an icy aura, as if it were the coldest day of the year.
Sheng Jiang held Prince Jin down, smeared his handprint with his own blood, and pressed a bloody handprint under the confession.
"You deliver it yourself."
Shen Xu said this to Sheng Jiang.
Sheng Jiang bowed in agreement and retreated respectfully.
After he walked out, he finally couldn't control his twitching face and the corners of his mouth curled up high.
The Left Admiral of the Five Military Commandery was the pinnacle for any military commander. To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
The factory guards looked at each other in bewilderment and stepped back silently. Why was Deputy Commander Sheng laughing like he was possessed by a ghost?
Hehehe. First rank, huh? Sheng Jiang was so overjoyed that even when he rode his horse, it bounced and swayed from side to side.
Sheng Jiang rushed back to Hanzhang Palace.
Hanzhang Palace was no different from when he left.
Sheng Jiang asked who was inside and asked someone to go in and pass the message.
As he pushed the door open, the emperor's furious voice reached his ears.
"The deposed crown prince murdered the emperor and his father. This is unacceptable to Heaven. How can Xie Yingchen be responsible for the important task of regent?"
"I am still alive and I have a son."
"It's not Xie Yingchen's turn to take over!"
The emperor leaned on the couch with a gloomy face. He shouted loudly, trying to intimidate everyone with his dragon power.
Sheng Jiang didn't know if it was an illusion, but he noticed that the emperor looked even more decrepit. He was like an old man in his twilight years, anxiously spending his last days.
This thought flashed through Sheng Jiang's mind.
The emperor gave him a look, and although he was clearly furious, Sheng Jiang was not frightened at all.
"Your Majesty," Sheng Jiang bowed and said, "Prince Jin has confessed."
Admitted?
Oh, right. The emperor was so angry that he almost forgot.
Just now, A Xu said that he had captured a demon Taoist priest, and it was that demon Taoist priest who secretly helped Ji Shi to plant witchcraft on him.
A Xu also said that the demon was captured in Prince Jin's mansion, so he asked A Xu to go and ask.
"Your Majesty, this is the confession of Prince Jin, and it has been signed."
"Go get it."
The emperor said to Yin Xin.
Sheng Jiang handed the signed confession to Yin Xin.
The two exchanged glances calmly, Sheng Jiang tapped his index finger twice, and Yin Xin presented it personally.
Did the King of Jin really ask the Ji family to harm him? The emperor opened the confession with a dark expression. The words on it were written so densely that his eyes were blurry and he struggled to decipher them.
"Your Majesty, would you like me to read it to you?" Yin Xin asked with a bow.
The emperor waved his hand and said, "You go down."
He wanted to get rid of Xie Yingchen.
Xie Yingchen remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the confession thoughtfully. A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth as he said gently, "Prince Jin's confession, can't we listen to it?"
"Your Majesty, you said that Ji cast a spell on you, causing you to behave so recklessly. But whether it was witchcraft or something else, that's just your own version of events."
"Now that the Prince of Jin has confessed, it is time for us to read and listen to his confession."
His eyes were gentle, but his words were sharp.
The emperor clutched the quilt tightly, and after a moment he said coldly, "Read it!"
Yin Xin agreed, his face drooping and looking serious, while he read every word very clearly.
When he mentioned Blackwater Castle, the emperor didn't react much.
But then he changed the subject: "Six years ago, the Changfeng demon poisoned the late emperor on his southern tour and put the blame on the crown prince, causing the late emperor's sudden death..."
The emperor's pupils suddenly shrank and his voice became tense.
"Shut up!"
"What did you say!?"
The Emperor and Prince Li spoke at the same time.
Prince Li shouted, "Give it to me, bring it here quickly."
"Give it to me."
Yin Xin presented the confession with both hands. The emperor hurried to take it, but it was too late. The confession was intercepted by Xie Yingchen.
The emperor missed and suddenly clenched his fingers together. He looked at Xie Yingchen with murderous intent.
"Give it to me."
He said coldly, "Xie Yingchen, do you dare to disobey my order?"
Xie Yingchen held the confession in his hand, staring at the emperor like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath.
He said, "Your Majesty, the late emperor died suddenly of poisoning, as is well known. Your Majesty was extremely filial to the late emperor and true to his brothers. Doesn't your Majesty want the truth to be revealed to the world?"
"Or, have you already known that there is a hidden story behind the Emperor's grandfather's death?"
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