Prime Minister Li Mingfu said solemnly, "Your Majesty! That Liu Lin is definitely an imposter! Do you know that Madam Liu is now all alone and helpless, with no one to turn to? Think about that terrible plague that ravaged Liujia Village, and no one was spared. Even Madam Liu's brother and his family were not spared! If Your Majesty doesn't believe this, you can send someone to verify it. What I said is absolutely true!"
Emperor Wen's expression changed slightly after hearing this, and he secretly sighed in his heart: "What a cunning Li Mingfu! He came up with such a countermeasure in just one night."
At this moment, Li Mingfu turned his gaze to the Third Prince and said righteously, "Your Majesty, the charges of abducting women, forcing women into prostitution, and bribing important officials are truly absurd! I believe this is most likely a deliberate frame-up of the Third Prince! In my opinion, Qian Wei should be rigorously interrogated to determine whether he was instructed by someone to discredit the Third Prince!"
Emperor Wen's expression was as cold as a pond. He thought to himself: This Third Brother usually looks honest and simple, but now he's actually trying to use the dancers to collude with important officials at court, forming cliques and factions, and engaging in self-serving activities! It seems that he really needs to be warned!
Emperor Wen's voice rang out in a deep and powerful voice: "Pass on my decree. Order Song Zhen, the Left Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, and Luo Cheng, the Minister of Justice, to conduct a thorough investigation into the Qian Wei case!"
As soon as the words fell, the two of them immediately responded respectfully: "Your humble servants accept my command and thank you!"
At that moment, He Dewang, the Right Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, suddenly stepped forward. The corners of Dali Temple Minister Lu Zheng's eyes twitched. He cursed inwardly: What's wrong with these guys? Don't you think this fire is not strong enough?
He Dewang bowed and reported to Emperor Wen, "Your Majesty, I have just received a secret report that Li Mingjie, the governor of Yuqing Prefecture, is secretly trafficking in salt, and Huang Zhirui, the governor of Jiangning, is secretly amassing troops!"
The Third Prince's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful smile. He snorted coldly, "You haven't even dealt with your own little woes yet, and you still have the nerve to meddle in his affairs. I want to see how you're going to get out of this, Your Highness!"
As soon as He Dewang finished speaking, an uproar erupted in the court! Everyone was whispering and discussing the situation. Just then, a panicked Imperial Guard soldier rushed into the hall and knelt down to report, "Your Majesty! This is terrible! Qian Wei has been murdered in the Dali Temple, and the murderer is none other than the Third Prince's... bodyguard, Lu Yu!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy voices in the court suddenly stopped. The officials looked at each other in dismay, secretly marveling: This Third Prince is truly ruthless!
At this moment, the entire court fell into a dead silence, the atmosphere extremely solemn. The emperor frowned, his eyes sternly scanning the crowd below. The Third Prince, on the other hand, wore a calm expression, as if he had anticipated all this.
He shouted excitedly, "Your Majesty! Lu Yu has actually always been a spy arranged by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to be by your side. Here is the conclusive evidence!" After saying that, he handed the thick stack of papers to Eunuch Gao who was standing beside him without hesitation!
Emperor Wen thought to himself, it seems that the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are determined to fight to the death today! If they continue to argue endlessly in the court, how can the dignity of the imperial family be maintained?
Emperor Wen was filled with rage at this thought. He roared, "Dismiss the court! Crown Prince and Third Prince, both of you, follow me to the Imperial Study! Also, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice Lu Zheng, and the Minister of Justice Luo Cheng, please come as well!"
Several people followed Emperor Wen into the Imperial Study. Emperor Wen sat on the Dragon Throne, staring fiercely at the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, and roared, "You rebellious sons! Kneel before me!"
The Crown Prince responded with a look of dissatisfaction, "Father, please be clear! The charges against my third brother are completely fabricated! I have never planted any spies around my third brother!"
Emperor Wen was furious after hearing this. He raised his hand, picked up the inkstone on the table, and smashed it towards the prince's head without hesitation. There was only a dull "bang" sound, and blood instantly gushed out of the prince's forehead!
Emperor Wen raised his head and turned his gaze to Lu Zheng beside him. He asked in a cold voice, "Lord Lu, should I continue to investigate these matters?"
Lu Zheng was sweating profusely, secretly complaining. He wondered, "Why am I so unlucky? Who brought this up? Why did he have to take the blame?"
Facing Emperor Wen's questioning, Lu Zheng was so nervous that he stuttered and replied hesitantly, "Everything... is entirely up to your Majesty..."
Seeing this, Emperor Wen's rage intensified. He shouted again, "What's the point of me keeping a bunch of useless people like you? Get out of here!"
Minister of Justice Luo Cheng lowered his voice cautiously and asked, "Your Majesty! Regarding Qian Wei's case, as well as the case involving Li Mingjie and Huang Zhirui, should we continue investigating? I beg Your Majesty to give clear instructions!"
Emperor Wen's expression instantly darkened, his facial muscles twitching slightly, clearly filled with rage. He glared at Luo Cheng with wide eyes, and shouted harshly, "Luo Cheng! Don't you even understand what I'm saying? Get out of here! All of you, get out!"
Seeing this, Lu Zheng hurried forward, grabbed Luo Cheng, and dragged him out the door. Meanwhile, Li Mingfu quickly stood up, walked over to the Crown Prince, and gently lifted him up, his forehead still bleeding. Then, together, they left the Imperial Study. The entire scene was extremely tense, as if a storm was about to break out.
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