Chapter 116: Truth 5: Let's just sit back and watch the fight
The old man sat cross-legged in the cell, his eyes closed, resting.
He looked thin and frail, holding a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, and had a somewhat detached air, like an immortal.
Xie Wuhen asked, "Who is this person?"
The emperor stared at the old man in the cell and replied in a deep voice, "This is Bai Jinan's twin brother, Bai Jinfu. They were born with the same appearance, but later, in order to seize power and usurp the throne, Bai Jinan reshaped his own bones to resemble me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Jinfu spoke slowly: "Could it be that my ignorant brother has taken action recently? Otherwise, how could the emperor, who is busy with all kinds of affairs, have the time to come here to visit me?" He still closed his eyes while speaking, with a completely nonchalant look.
The emperor replied coldly, "You should be thankful for my patience, otherwise I wouldn't have spared your life until now."
Bai Jinfu smiled, then opened his eyes. The light from the torches in the corridor was so glaring that he had to frown. "I should be thankful for my brother's patience, otherwise I wouldn't be alive today."
The emperor showed disdain: "It seems that you have been quite content living in this cell for so many years."
Bai Jinfu replied, "Thanks to the Emperor, I have had no worries about food and clothing for the past twenty years, and I have a peaceful and stable life. I am indeed living a good life."
The emperor sneered: "If that's the case, then you can continue to live here."
Bai Jinfu nodded and saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
The emperor's expression grew colder as he instructed Xie Wuhen, "Try to pry open his mouth. Perhaps you can learn about Bai Jinan's movements."
Bai Jinfu took over the conversation, "Don't waste your energy. I've been imprisoned for over twenty years, cut off from the world and oblivious to my brother's whereabouts. I don't even know what day it is."
The emperor ignored him and continued to instruct Xie Wuhen, his tone becoming more ruthless: "No matter what kind of punishment you inflict on him, I will not ask. All I ask is that you save his worthless life."
Xie Wuhen lowered his head and replied "yes".
The emperor took one last glance at Bai Jinfu in the cell, then turned and left.
Xie Wuhen stayed.
For the next two days, he interrogated Bai Jinfu in the dark cell without sleep.
Bai Jinfu is old and cannot bear too severe punishment.
He had no choice but to tie him to a tiger bench, depriving him of rest day and night.
Whenever Bai Jinfu wanted to doze off, he would pour a bucket of cold water on him, which would wake Bai Jinfu up instantly.
Bai Jinfu looked haggard: "If you keep going like this, my humble life will end here."
He then said, "Do you know why the Emperor wants to spare my humble life?"
Xie Wuhen looked at him solemnly without saying a word.
In the past few days, he has become more and more haggard, with his bones becoming more and more prominent, but his eyes remain dark and deep.
Bai Jinfu smiled weakly and continued, "Your Majesty wants to use me as a hostage when my brother gets angry, to prove that my brother's appearance is not his own, but that my true appearance is this."
He raised his head and exhaled, "Ever since my brother developed a desire for power, I was destined to be unable to escape this disaster."
Xie Wuhen asked, "Do you hate your brother?"
Bai Jinfu had a bitter look on his face. "What's the point of hating him? Back when my brother was the emperor's tutor, the Bai family benefited greatly from him. Now we are returning all the favors we received from him."
Xie Wuhen thought for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and untied the ropes on him.
Bai Jinfu was confused: "Sir, are you... not going to hold a trial?"
Xie Wuhen replied: "No need to interrogate you. I will let you out of this prison today."
Bai Jinfu was a little incredulous: "The Emperor agreed?"
Xie Wuhen replied: "I will handle the Emperor's affairs myself."
Bai Jinfu was no longer restrained, but he still sat motionless on the tiger bench, as if he was reluctant to leave, and his expression was a little dazed.
Xie Wuhen stepped forward and opened the door: "Senior, please leave."
Bai Jinfu stammered, "Take...seriously?"
Xie Wuhen said firmly: "Yes, seriously."
Bai Jinfu stood up and took two steps toward the door, but quickly retreated and sat back on the tiger bench. His tone was profound: "I almost believed what you said, sir. Fortunately, I reacted in time."
Xie Wuhen replied: "What I said is true."
Bai Jinfu sneered, "If I dare to leave this prison, I will be monitored day and night by your spies, right? You're trying to use me as bait to lure out my brother, right?"
Xie Wuhen did not deny it: "Even so, Senior can still use this to fight for a glimmer of hope, right?"
Bai Jinfu asked, "What if I don't go looking for my brother after I get out of prison?"
Xie Wuhen sneered: "Your brother will come to find you after hearing the news."
Bai Jinfu looked at the torch on the wall and breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Excellency is right. If I am released from prison smoothly, my brother will definitely come looking for me. He will not come looking for me to reunite with me, but to kill me. In this world, everyone has his own plans. Even brothers from the same mother cannot necessarily trust each other without any grudges. After all, as long as I die, no one can trace my brother's origins. After all, he has even done things like plotting to usurp the throne. What else would he not dare to do? Therefore," he said, looking up and looking around the dark and damp prison cell: "This prison is my real place to save my life. How can I leave here so easily!"
Xie Wuhen bent down and sat on the armchair opposite Bai Jinfu. "Since you have nowhere to go and nowhere to rely on, why don't you cooperate with me to find a chance of survival?"
Bai Jinfu was stunned. "So, sir, you already knew that I wouldn't leave?"
Xie Wuhen replied: "I just want you to face the reality."
Bai Jinfu shook his head helplessly: "To be honest, I also want to cooperate with you, sir, but I have been imprisoned for many years, how can I know where my brother is?"
Xie Wuhen smiled, "I would also like to remind you, Senior, that you and Bai Jin'an are in a mutually reinforcing and mutually exclusive relationship. He wants to take your life in order to conceal his origins, but his life is also in your hands."
Bai Jinfu asked back, "What do you mean by that?"
Xie Wuhen replied, "As long as Bai Jin'an causes trouble, Senior will not be free for a single day. If you recognize the situation and help the royal family capture Bai Jin'an, you will be able to escape from prison and live freely."
Bai Jinfu was silent for a long moment before finally making up his mind. He murmured, "I don't know where my brother is right now, but I grew up with him. I was always by his side when he was learning the Bone Shaping Technique. I haven't learned that strange technique, but I know that the surrounding environment is very demanding if you want to successfully perform the spell."
Xie Wuhen frowned slightly: "How is Yan He?"
Bai Jinfu replied, "You must cast the spell in a place with rocks and water, and where the temperature, humidity, and light are all suitable. Otherwise, the spell will fail and all your efforts will be wasted."
Xie Wuhen muttered silently: "There are stones and water?"
Bai Jinfu added, "It would be best if it were a cave in the mountains. That way, we can get twice the result with half the effort."
Xie Wuhen's eyes lit up as he suddenly realized, "Master Mountain?"
Although he sent people to search Fuzi Mountain from top to bottom, he never thought of exploring whether there was a melting cave in the mountain.
He said "Thank you, senior" and turned to leave the cell.
At this time in Changle Palace.
Chuanzi entered the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, I have found out that the Emperor did summon Xie Wuhen two days ago and ordered him to search for the child outside the palace."
Concubine Shu was so angry that her face turned pale and her chest heaved: "The old man really betrayed me."
He also said, "He was so anxious to find the child, so he must be a prince."
She then ordered, "Send the Second Prince to the palace."
Chuanzi lowered his head and replied "yes".
In less than half an hour, the second prince Zhao Bo hurried into Changle Palace.
Concubine Shu was annoyed and complained for a while, and finally said, "Son, I'm afraid your father can't be relied on anymore. We have to rely on ourselves."
Zhao Bo's expression was calm. "Don't worry, mother. Don't forget, there's still the Fifth Prince in the palace. Right now, it's a three-way standoff. The Kunning Palace should be more anxious than us."
Concubine Shu shook her head anxiously, "The Fifth Prince is young and currently has no advantages. But that child from outside the palace is your age and is deeply favored by the Emperor. He is our biggest concern."
Zhao Bo thought for a moment and comforted her: "Don't worry, mother. I will send more people to keep a close eye on Xie Wuhen. If any of the palace maid's sons dare to show up, I will kill them."
Concubine Shu still shook her head: "Xie Wuhen is a skilled warrior and very cunning. If he takes advantage of the opportunity and brings back the child from outside the palace, our plan will be ruined. We must be prepared for both situations."
Zhao Bo asked, "How does mother want to proceed?"
Concubine Shu replied: "Go and find someone quickly."
"Who?"
"Bai Jinan."
"Who is Bai Jinan?"
"A man who looks exactly like your father and who owes me a favor."
Zhao Bo became increasingly puzzled: "What is the relationship between this person... and my father?"
Concubine Shu smiled coldly, recalling the past: "This man was once your father's study companion and enjoyed his deep trust. Unexpectedly, in the year your father ascended the throne, he used bone reshaping to create an exact replica of your father's appearance. He bribed the palace eunuchs and attempted to impersonate him and usurp the throne. Unfortunately, his plan was a step behind, and your father eventually saw through his plan. In desperation, he tried to set himself on fire. It was only out of pity that I helped him escape from the palace, which is how he survived until now."
Zhao Bo found it incredible: "How come I have never heard of this matter?"
Concubine Shu replied, "This matter is your father's unfavorable scale. Who dares to bring it up without permission? Besides, it happened decades ago. The people involved are old or dead. Few people talk about it anymore."
Zhao Bo asked, "My mother's intention is to find this Bai Jin'an, use him as a scapegoat, and use him to officially establish me as the crown prince?"
Concubine Shu nodded, her eyes filled with cruelty: "If your father dares to bully me, don't blame me for retaliating."
Zhao Bo asked again: "Where is Bai Jinan now?"
Concubine Shu replied, "I sent someone to contact him not long ago. He is currently in a cave in Fuzi Mountain."
Zhao Bo clasped his fists and said, "I will send someone to Fuzi Mountain immediately."
Concubine Shu hummed and let out a long breath, as if she had let out all the grievances she had suffered over the years.
At this time in Kunning Palace.
Nanny Qing also entered the palace to report, "Your Majesty, ever since the Emperor summoned the Xie family's eldest son two days ago, there have been unusual movements on both sides."
The Queen was tending to the flowers and plants. She paused when she heard this and asked, "What's the unusual movement?"
Nanny Qing replied, "The eldest son of the Xie family led a group of people out of the city at noon today, and it seems that the Second Prince also sent people out of the city with him."
The Queen put down her shovel and asked, "Do you know where they went?"
Matron Qing shook her head. "I haven't found out about that. I suspect it's probably about the child outside the palace. Should we send someone over to take a look?"
The Queen thought for a moment, then glanced back at the Fifth Prince who was studying in the side hall. She then patted the mud off her hands and said, "No need. The people in Changle Palace should be the ones who are really anxious right now. We can just sit back and watch the fight."
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