The bad premonition in Ming Luo's heart became more and more intense.
Seeing her also walking away quickly, the attendant beside her hurriedly reminded: "Madam... the ceremony is not over yet!"
Ming Luo didn't even turn his head: "I'll go get the sacrificial text!"
At this moment, somewhere she couldn't see, something more important than the festival was about to happen!
"Qiao Jijiu..." The attendant had no choice but to look at Qiao Yang.
However, Qiao Jijiu had no intention of staying in charge of the overall situation. He even grabbed the sleeve of Master Chu and said, "Master, come on, let's chase the crane together!"
Master Chu shook off his hand with a cold face: "If you want to go, go by yourself."
He had been particularly dissatisfied with Qiao Jijiu recently, and even scolded him before the ceremony began - "Your students are missing, and you still have the mind to preside over the Confucius Ceremony!"
——"If this were my student, I would rather not be an official, take off my official robes, and go look for him myself!"
At that time, Qiao Jijiu just looked ashamed and said nothing.
Master Chu became angrier and angrier as he watched. Throughout the entire ceremony, he had not had any communication with Master Qiao.
Seeing that the other party was still very interested in pulling him to see the crane, Master Chu sneered. Why was he still chasing the crane? Judging from the situation, it wouldn't be long before the crane came to pick him up. He might be so angry at these heartless people that he would fly the crane to the west! "Master..." Qiao Jijiu, who was thrown away, tried to pull the man again and said in a low voice: "This crane is spiritual. Follow it, maybe we can find my student!"
Master Chu was stunned when he heard this and stared at Qiao Yang in confusion.
——What do you mean? Qiao Jijiu pulled the people away quickly without saying anything: "If you don't leave, how dare those scholars leave..."
Sure enough, those Confucian scholars who had been unmoved at first, seeing that the old tutor, who was the leader of all the literati in the world, also chased the crane, all hurried to follow.
"Brother Song, this is an auspicious sign, let's go and take a look!" Tan Li was very enthusiastic. In addition to studying hard, he was also keen to get involved in all kinds of auspicious things in the hope of passing the imperial examination next year.
The crane would sometimes circle in place, waiting for everyone to catch up, and then continue to fly forward after everyone had caught up. This scene seemed even more extraordinary in the eyes of everyone.
The Confucius Temple was filled with noise and bustle because of the white crane. There were crowds of people and the atmosphere was very high.
In the palace city not far away, the Ganlu Palace, the emperor’s residence, was quiet and empty at this moment.
Not long ago, the commander of the imperial guards who were sent out to search for someone returned and reported that the person had not been found yet.
The Holy Ceremonial Emperor’s brows furrowed.
Since before daybreak, they have been searching everywhere, both inside and outside the city, and have searched everywhere they should...
At this point, she could almost conclude that Mingjin’s disappearance must be related to Chang Suining.
Two days ago, Chang Suining disappeared, and Chang also disappeared... At first, she also thought that the girl was the victim, but as the search intensified, she found nothing. She gradually realized that the girl who seemed to be in danger in everyone's eyes might have hidden in the dark and become a real hunter.
Where is Keren hiding?
If it was an impulsive revenge, the bodies of Chang and Mingjin would be seen by now.
If he wanted to use Ming Jin to threaten her in exchange for Chang Sui'an's life, now that he has succeeded, why should he continue to hide? To judge her intention, we need to observe her past behavior. The Emperor of the Holy Ce recalled all his past impressions of this girl in his mind.
Dayun Temple bravely fights elephants, the Imperial Academy plays ball, Dengtai Tower holds a banquet to pay respect to the teacher and gathers all the scholars, Furong Garden directly rejects Li Lu and Cui Jing, and also rejects her proposal to grant her the position of female official.
The Pei family, the Chang family, the Xie family, the Ming family... facing the dangers and injustices that had been inflicted on her and the people around her, she never backed down in front of others.
Never give up in front of others...
Behind the dragon case, the empress suddenly raised her eyes and looked outside the hall. It seemed that she could see through the layers of palaces and hear and see the sounds of drums and music in the Confucius Temple and the scene of thousands of scholars gathering there.
"Have you ever searched the Confucius Temple?" she suddenly asked.
The commander of the imperial guards, who was the emperor's confidant, froze in his tracks: "Today we are offering sacrifices to Confucius, and I dare not enter the temple to disturb you!"
Moreover, the Confucius Temple is the most lively and eye-catching place in the city today. Why would the other party choose to hide here?
"I'm afraid she didn't intend to hide. She hasn't shown up in the past two days. She is just hiding to confuse people and wait for the right opportunity..." The Emperor of the Holy Ce stood up from the dragon throne and said solemnly, "Hurry and take people to the Confucius Temple to strictly guard and control all places to prevent any accidents from happening!"
"yes!"
The commander of the imperial guards did not dare to hesitate or delay for a moment and retreated immediately.
The Confucius Temple was built between the palace and the Imperial College. It can be reached in less than two quarters of an hour by heading west from the Secretariat.
All of a sudden, several teams of imperial guards shuttled through the palace roads and rushed towards the Confucius Temple.
The commander of the imperial guards retreated for a moment, and the eunuchs' singing could be heard from the Ganlu Palace.
"Go to the Confucius Temple!"
The imperial carriage was quickly prepared. Emperor Shengce boarded the carriage with the help of eunuchs and looked fixedly in the direction of the Confucius Temple.
…
In the Confucius Temple, the crane carrying the sacrificial text, followed by the crowd, landed on a three-story attic.
This place is located in the northwest corner of the Confucius Temple. It was originally used as a library. Later, because a new book storage was built, this place was abandoned and dilapidated.
Not far away, the musicians in front of the Dacheng Hall did not dare to stop playing without permission, and the peaceful and harmonious music could still be faintly heard.
Amid the distant music, the white crane standing on the top of the pavilion let out a loud cry.
Everyone craned their necks to look, and for a moment they could not understand why the white crane landed there.
Until the next moment, a loud bang suddenly came from the railing on the second floor of the attic.
Inside the building, Chang Suining, who had been dealing with Ming Jin for a long time, heard the crane's cry and knew that the time had come.
She seemed to stagger back and slammed the tightly closed wooden door of the attic open with her body.
"Bang!"
The door, which had not been completely locked, was knocked open, and light instantly poured into the dim attic, which had doors and windows closed and curtains drawn on all sides. Ming Jin felt it was extremely dazzling, and he subconsciously closed his eyes for a moment.
The next moment he opened his eyes and saw a blank and burning vision in front of him, a buzzing sound in his ears, and a dull and fuzzy mind.
When he came here, he had drunk tea mixed with drugs. Due to days of alcoholism and drug abuse, and the pills burning in the attic that weakened the five senses and caused hallucinations, he had been inhaling for a long time.
The combination of all these factors made him, who had been moody recently, almost insane. His vision and hearing were both blurred and confused, and the evil thoughts and manic excitement in his heart were repeatedly amplified.
He chased Chang Suining out of the attic and came to the fence on the second floor. He pinched her shoulder and held her injured and bleeding arm tightly with one hand.
He could only see the person in front of him. He laughed grimly, "Chang Suining, keep running. Why don't you run? Do you really think you can escape?"
Listening to the screams coming from downstairs, Chang Suining let him hold her madly.
"Look, that's..."
"Prince Ming?!"
"And the Chang family's wife!"
"Why is the Chang family's wife here!" Tan Li, who was running the fastest, was horrified: "Quick, hurry up and save her!"
He ran forward and tried to open the attic door, but found it was locked from the inside.
"Mr. Tan..." Qiao Yubai appeared at some point, grabbed Tan Li's arm, and shook his head at him silently.
Tan Li looked confused, and Song Xian, who followed closely, also looked shocked.
Master Chu arrived quickly and saw the girl covered in blood, with her back to the crowd and her hair loose, being clamped by Ming Jin at the edge of the fence. He almost lost his soul: "This..."
Master Chu was shocked and angry: "Hurry up and save that girl!"
As he spoke, he did not care about his old age and wanted to join the cabinet immediately.
"Grandmaster!" Qiao Jijiu tightly grasped Grandmaster Chu's wrist, whose skin was dry and loose due to old age. There was a look of heartache in his eyes, but his tone was rare and serious: "You don't have to be reluctant, just listen quietly."
Master Chu's pupils trembled slightly, and he suddenly realized.
So, this is…
Qiao Jijiu nodded to him.
He had not seen her since he learned about the plan for this child. Although he knew the plan and cooperated in its implementation secretly, he did not know that the child would look like this at this time. It was only at this time that he realized to what extent she had gone for this plan.
As a father and a teacher, how could he bear it? But with the current plan, this play had to be performed and listened to to the end.
When people's senses fade, they will unconsciously raise their voices, so Ming Jin's words were almost clearly heard by everyone in front of the pavilion -
"Now that you are in my hands, it won't be that easy even if you want to die... You dared me to kill you, but I will keep you alive! You said I am unworthy of Chang Sui'an taking the blame for me? Then I will let you see who has the final say!"
Everyone's face changed.
——Take the blame?!
"Did you hear that?" Cui Lang said in shock, "It turns out that Lady Changsun Qi was murdered by Prince Ming!"
It was like huge waves rising up in all directions, and this huge wave quickly spread among the people and into their hearts.
"absurd!"
Ming Luo came over quickly and said in a deep voice: "How can you take drunken words seriously!"
She immediately ordered the eunuchs around her: "The prince is drunk and talking nonsense in front of others. Take him down quickly to avoid hurting Madam Chang!"
"yes!"
A group of eunuchs stepped forward quickly and were about to break into the pavilion.
At this time, a white crane flew over from somewhere, swooped forward and pecked the eunuchs away.
Ming Luo turned around and told the maid beside him: "Order the imperial guards to come quickly!"
On the day of the sacrifice, there were already imperial guards patrolling, and soon a team of imperial guards arrived.
"Even birds have spirits, let alone humans!" The white-haired Taifu shook off Qiao Jijiu's hand again, walked forward, and blocked the door of the pavilion: "I am here, let's see who dares to force this door!"
Ming Luo was shocked and puzzled: "Taifu, why is this happening?"
"You should ask Miss Ming about this!" Master Chu raised his eyebrows and scolded, "You are a female official in front of the palace, and you are in charge of the world's literary affairs on behalf of the sage. You should set an example for the literati in the world. The words of Prince Ming have been heard by everyone. When the situation is not clear, you cover it up with a drunken word and want to force the matter to be exposed. With such behavior, how can you convince the people on behalf of the sage?"
With his status and reputation, Ming Luo's face turned red and white when he was scolded like this in public.
Could it be that even Master Chu was an accomplice in Chang Suining's plan today? How is this possible! Song Xian clenched his fingers.
He finally understood. The reason why Chang Suining withheld their joint letter was because the real murderer was the eldest son of the Ming family!
She didn't want them to be implicated and affect their future careers...
But now——
Song Xianwei raised his head and looked at the girl's bloodstained profile, then looked at his companions behind him and the countless literati who followed closely.
"That's right. We shouldn't just say one word to decide right and wrong!" Song Xian stepped forward and blocked the imperial guards.
Although he has not yet entered the officialdom, he should speak impartially and be willing to eliminate injustice. If the Grand Tutor is in front of us now, we still dare not do it. How can we support the country and benefit the people in the future!
Moreover, the "law" does not punish the masses. Today, there are countless people watching and listening, and thousands of scholars are here. As long as more people are willing to stand up, no one can break this door! Tan Li and others also stepped forward.
Members of Wuer Society, Xunmei Society, and many students also stood against the imperial guards.
They had all been paying attention to Chang Sui'an's case for a long time, and now they had the whole picture in their minds, so there was no hesitation at all.
Although we don't know why the Prince of Ming is so arrogant, and whether it is just his drunken words, it's not wrong to let everyone listen to it!
Ming Luo's heart sank to the bottom. Could it be that these people were all Chang Suining's accomplices? "Quick... send a message back home!" In the crowd, Chang Sun Ji quickly told his followers: "Quickly tell my father and grandfather about this!"
Speaking of timing, this is what my grandfather meant by timing!
If Feng Min is taken to the Dali Temple at this moment, his confession will match Ming Jin's, and no one will be able to use any excuse to exonerate Ming Jin! After telling his followers, Chang Sun Ji also stepped forward quickly and said angrily: "I want to hear what he has to say in person. No one can take him away before the situation is clear. Anyone who stops us will be regarded as an accomplice and shielding him!"
As the victim of this case, he is the most qualified to stop here today! Ming Jin's unbridled laughter and insults were heard from above from time to time. The imperial guards looked embarrassed and didn't know what to do for a while, so they had to look at Ming Luo.
Looking at the figures blocking the way outside the attic, Ming Luo felt nervous and uneasy, but he was also aware that he could not confront these literati in public.
These people are not ordinary people, nor are they insignificant refugees. They cannot be killed, driven away, and their ears and mouths cannot be covered! Therefore, this is the purpose of Chang Suining's actions here today! Listening to Ming Jin's increasingly arrogant crazy words, Ming Luo's heart sank and he gave the eunuch beside him a look.
We can't let this lunatic continue talking! The eunuch retreated.
Soon, one of the imperial guards left the crowd, went around to a place where no one could see him, and quickly put an arrow on his bow.
After all, the other party was the prince of Ming Mansion. This arrow could not kill him, but only injure him. The saints would decide how to deal with him afterwards! But before he could aim at Ming Jin, he suddenly felt a strong wind coming from behind.
"Got you! Bad assassin!"
Adian pressed him to the ground, and his mountain-like figure suddenly sat on him. The imperial guard screamed in pain under his pressure.
At this moment, seeing that Ming Jin was confused and couldn't get to the point, Chang Suining felt that he needed to ask, "I can't figure out why you wanted to kill Zhangsun Qi Niangzi..."
Hearing her mention this, Ming Jin seemed to be showing off his achievements, and said proudly and loudly: "Chang Sunxuan should have died long ago! She should have died as early as when she dared to reject my Ming family's proposal of marriage!"
Chang Sun Ji looked sad and angry.
It turns out that this beast has always been resentful of his aunt because of this!
"I only regret that I let her die so easily that day! I didn't have time to listen to her begging for mercy!"
"But it doesn't matter. I haven't satisfied myself with her yet, so how about you take over her satisfaction from now on?"
Hearing the reactions of the people in the attic behind him, Chang Suining turned his back to them and raised his eyebrows in satisfaction.
Very good, that should be enough.
That's all.
She reached out and easily grabbed the arm that was not strong enough to control her, and whispered in his ear: "Don't dream about it, I will only watch you pay for this with your life for her."
Ming Jin laughed angrily, trying to break free from her control: "You bitch, you still dare to be stubborn even when you are about to die!"
The voice that was close enough and the only one he could hear clearly rang in his ears again, asking: "Do you remember when you were eight or nine years old and were punished in public on Suzaku Street?"
Ming Jin's struggling movements suddenly paused. As the wind blew, the effect of the inhaled medicine began to diminish. At this moment, he seemed to vaguely see figures surrounding the building.
Good night!
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