Chapter 60
As soon as he stepped out of the mansion, the Jinyiwei had already prepared the carriage and horses, and a group of people went to the Ministry of Justice.
Yang Yuan, the Minister of Justice, sat at the head of the table, dressed in a crimson-purple robe. He Shun, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Li Jiu, the Chief Censor, flanked him. The chief officials of the three judicial departments gathered, awaiting Song Qianzhao's arrival.
The footsteps in the hall gradually approached. Song Qianzhao lifted his robe, stepped over the threshold, walked into the main hall, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, my lords!"
Yang Yuan, who was sitting in the main seat, nodded slightly and raised his hand to invite him, "Envoy Song, please take a seat."
Song Qianzhao thanked him and sat down at the head. She looked around at everyone, frowning slightly: "My Lords, please tell me what is going on."
The three lords exchanged glances and all looked at Liu Ming'an and said, "Lord Liu, didn't you explain your purpose to Envoy Song?"
Liu Ming'an shook his head slightly, frowning slightly as he said, "I don't know the details of this case."
Li Jiu took a sip from the teacup and tapped the lid gently on the rim. "No wonder. Duke Ying is in the prison of the Ministry of Justice and the case has not yet been further investigated. It is normal for Lord Liu to be unaware of the inside story."
Song Qianzhao frowned slightly, confusion flashing in his eyes, "Britain was imprisoned, what happened?"
"Yesterday," Yang Yuan looked at him and explained, "Central Secretary Tian Wei submitted a memorial impeaching Duke Yingguo, Duke Jingguo, and you. The memorial clearly stated that Duke Yingguo and Duke Jingguo were plotting rebellion."
Song Qianzhao was confused and asked, "How could a mere official like him be so bold as to speak disrespectfully to an honored noble?"
Yang Yuan said slowly: "The problem is that the contents of Liu Wei's memorial are not groundless."
Song Qianzhao's brows gradually furrowed, vaguely feeling that there was something fishy about this matter. "What does it say?"
"Duke Ying and Duke Jing are colluding with the vassal kings, plotting to harm His Majesty and the Crown Prince. We have all the evidence."
Yang Yuan looked at Song Qianzhao's expression.
"Which vassal king?" Song Qianzhao's voice suddenly became deep.
"King Yu."
Song Qianzhao was shocked when he heard this, and a sharp flash flashed in his eyes, "What evidence?"
"letter!"
Prince Yu is the current emperor's younger brother, barely 20 years old. His Majesty personally officiated their wedding last January. He currently resides in the capital and has not yet traveled to his fiefdom. If anything were to happen to His Majesty or the Crown Prince, this prince would be the most legitimate heir to the throne.
But Song Qianzhao clearly remembered that according to the original novel, it was Prince Su who was the one who really wanted to rebel. As for Prince Yu, he had always been law-abiding and had never had the slightest intention of rebellion.
Song Qianzhao thought about this and said in a deep voice, "This letter may not be authentic. The handwriting can be copied, and the seal can be privately cast."
Yang Yuan shook his head. "Envoy Song is right. This letter can indeed be forged, but the place where the Duke of England hid the letter is inaccessible to others!"
"Where?" Song Qianzhao's eyes fixed.
"It's a secret room, and only the Duke of England knows how to open it. He wouldn't forge a letter and hide it, would he?"
To be honest, Song Qianzhao didn't believe that Prince Yu would rebel, but things had already happened, and it was meaningless to believe it or not.
There are more important things to understand right now.
Song Qianzhao glanced at the three of them, "My Lords, there is one thing I'm still unclear about. Regardless of whether Prince Yu and Duke Ying intend to rebel, what does this have to do with me?"
"This letter also mentions you." Yang Yuan raised his eyes.
"Mentioned me?"
Song Qianzhao's pupils shrank slightly and the corners of his mouth twitched, as if he had heard something extremely absurd.
Li Jiu said calmly, "Indeed, you have no relationship with the Duke of Yingguo's son, but you are very generous to him, giving him most of your property. Your purpose is to send money to the vassal king through the Duke of Yingguo."
Upon hearing this, Song Qianzhao's face suddenly darkened. "I'm on good terms with him, so it's only natural for me to be generous to him... Humph, now it's written in black and white, twisting right and wrong, trying to frame me. Sir Yang, what does the letter say? Can you let me see it?"
"This letter is the most important evidence. It has been sealed and cannot be taken out for the time being," Yang Yuan said firmly, "but the handwriting in the letter has been authenticated, and it is indeed Prince Yu's."
"Did Prince Yu admit it?"
"Prince Yu insisted that he knew nothing about this matter." Yang Yuan shook his head slowly.
"What does the Duke of England say?" Song Qianzhao asked.
"Same, I know nothing about it." Yang Yuan shrugged.
Song Qianzhao thought for a moment and said slowly, "It seems that the key to this case lies in that letter. If we can find out the origin of the letter, the truth will be revealed."
"Not bad." Yang Yuan nodded.
"How did Liu Wei, who submitted the memorial, know about this?"
Yang Yuan spoke calmly, taking a sip from his teacup. "The Imperial Censor is only responsible for giving advice. The matter of the envelope was discovered by the Three Law Departments."
"So," Song Qianzhao said, raising his voice slightly, "even if it's just a rumor, you can still impeach the ministers at will?"
Yang Yuan slowly placed the teacup back on the table and nodded slightly, "This is what a censor should do."
Song Qianzhao sighed softly, "Well, let's put that aside for now. What's most important right now is this secret letter. Since Your Excellency is unwilling to let me personally read the original, could you at least tell me what it contains?"
Yang Yuan took out a piece of paper and said, "This is a transcribed copy. Please review it, Ambassador Song."
Song Qianzhao took it and read it through. The contents were indeed the same as Yang Yuan had said. If this letter was true, Duke Yingguo, Duke Jingguo, and his nine clans would be in danger.
"My Lords, may I see the Duke?"
Song Qianzhao asked directly, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the three people.
"this……"
The three of them exchanged glances, thinking to themselves: Could this guy be trying to collude with others in our testimony?
Song Qianzhao looked calm and composed, looking at everyone with a frank gaze. "I just want to ask the Duke of Ying a few questions. If you three are worried, you can go together."
Yang Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, I will invite the Duke of Ying to come over for a chat."
Liu Mingan stood up after hearing this and said, "Let's go down."
Yang Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for taking this trip, Commander Liu."
You must know that the Duke of Ying is only in temporary custody at the moment, and his crimes have not yet been proven. If we send ordinary yamen runners to summon him, it would seem like escorting a criminal, which is indeed inappropriate.
A moment later, Fan Sheng walked into the hall, his face slightly tired. He bowed hastily and said in a hoarse voice, "I wonder why you gentlemen have summoned me?"
Song Qianzhao immediately stood up and said, "I have a few words to ask the Duke."
Fan Sheng looked at him with a suspicious look on his face: "Who are you?"
After Song Qianzhao entered the Song Mansion, her portrait was distributed to the residences of various nobles. Therefore, Fan Sheng also took a glimpse of the portrait, but after several months, Fan Sheng did not pay much attention to the matter and had no contact with her on a daily basis. It was understandable that he did not recognize her at the time.
Song Qianzhao bowed and said in a clear voice, "Your humble servant is Song Qianzhao, the Left Assistant of the Silver Bureau."
"Oh!" Fan Sheng suddenly realized, "So it's the grandson of Song Tangguan. Why are you here too?"
"I have been accused of conspiring with the Duke of England."
Upon hearing this, Fan Sheng's eyes widened. "That's sheer nonsense! I've never had any contact with you, so how could we be in cahoots?"
Song Qianzhao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Duke. If it's a false accusation, we'll know the truth after we investigate." Then he asked, "Excuse me, Duke, where was the secret letter found?"
Fan Sheng thought for a moment and said, "It's in a secret room. The strange thing is that I'm the only one who knows how to open it."
"I've set up two layers of sentries, both visible and hidden. Even if the mechanism is broken, as long as someone sneaks in, the sentries will definitely not be unaware."
"Excuse me, Lord England, when was the last time you entered the Chamber of Secrets?"
Fan Sheng thought for a moment and replied, "About five or six days ago. There was an important military document there, and I put it in there myself."
"Have you noticed the secret letter?"
Fan Sheng slowly shook his head, "I haven't noticed."
"Are there any problems with the guards?"
"No," Fan Sheng said firmly, "The guards in the secret room are divided into two shifts, with the visible and covert sentries taking turns at staggered times, so they can monitor each other. Besides, they don't have the key."
Liu Ming'an speculated, "Could it be possible that someone bribed the guards and sneaked into the secret room?"
Fan Sheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Unless this person bribed all the guards."
Song Qianzhao looked at Liu Ming'an and said, "This is easy to handle. Commander Liu can just go and interrogate the guards."
"Sir Song is quite right," Liu Ming'an said, his eyebrows twitching slightly. "The Northern Town Prison is in charge of the trial, but there's no conclusion yet. I'll go and urge them to come forward. However, I'll have to ask Sir Song to stay at the Ministry of Justice for the time being."
Song Qianzhao looked calm, his eyes fixed on the other party, and he said slowly, "Commander Liu, do you mean to imprison me?"
"That won't happen," Yang Yuan stood up. "I've already ordered someone to clean out a guest room. You can stay here for a few days. When the case is fully resolved, you can return home."
Song Qian nodded slightly and said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Lord Yang."
Fan Sheng and Song Qianzhao were housed separately to prevent collusion. Their quarters were far apart, and they were provided with meals and everything they needed. However, they were not allowed to move around freely.
It was getting late and the dew was heavy. Song Qianzhao was half asleep and half awake when he suddenly heard a rustling sound outside the window.
"Who?"
She shuddered all over and suddenly stood up.
"Sir, it's me."
"Sui Feng," Song Qianzhao's brows relaxed, and his tense shoulders unconsciously lowered a little, "Why are you here?"
Suifeng brushed the dust off his sleeves and lowered his voice, "Your Excellency is being held here, and I was worried, so I sneaked in to take a look."
Song Qianzhao felt warm at the thought, "They want me to cooperate with the three divisions in investigating the case."
Suifeng bowed and asked, "Sir, is there anything I can do for you?"
She pondered for a moment, then whispered, "This case is quite difficult. Whoever is behind this must have put in a lot of effort. If I want to clear myself of suspicion, I must first prove the Duke of England's innocence. But he has no clues. I wanted to go to the scene to investigate, but unfortunately I can't move. How about this? You go to the Duke of England's secret room for me and see if you can find anything."
"I'll do it right away."
Suifeng was about to get up when Song Qianzhao stopped him.
"Remember to act in secret, and be especially careful to see if anyone suspicious intends to approach the secret room. Also, investigate that official named Tian Wei."
A glimmer of understanding flashed in Suifeng's eyes, and he nodded solemnly: "I understand."
As dusk fell, Suifeng reappeared outside the door. He carefully looked around, confirming that no one was following him, before pulling out a roll of blueprints.
"Sir, I have tried, and the mechanism of that secret room is very complex and difficult to crack. Here is a hand-drawn pattern of the layout of the secret room door, please review it."
A tiny oil lamp flickered in the corner, casting a flickering shadow on Song Qianzhao's face. She unfolded the blueprint, her brow furrowed.
The route markings on the map are clearly visible - without the help of an insider, it would be impossible to avoid all the guards.
"As for Tian Wei, I haven't noticed anything wrong with him yet."
Song Qianzhao put away the blueprint and said, "Keep watching and tell me the results as soon as you get them."
"Yes!" Suifeng clasped his fists and accepted the order, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness outside the room.
At dawn, a clerk in blue clothes came to the door and said respectfully, "Sir Song, the Minister invites you to come over for a chat."
Song Qianzhao straightened his clothes and walked into the front hall, where he found Yang Yuan and Liu Mingan already sitting beside him.
"You two gentlemen have come in person, but have you made any progress in the case?"
Song Qianzhao asked with a bow, his eyes wandering over the two men's faces.
Liu Ming'an stroked his beard and shook his head, saying, "I sent people to interrogate these guards separately, but their confessions were basically the same. Then I asked some minor questions, and they were able to answer them one by one. Their statements were consistent, so it doesn't seem like collusion." There was a hint of reluctance in his tone, and he was obviously quite surprised by the result.
Song Qianzhao frowned slightly upon hearing this. Even the Imperial Guards couldn't find any flaws, so these guards seemed truly innocent. She thought to herself: This makes the Duke of Yingguo even more suspicious.
"Please ask the Duke to come here. There are still a few details that need to be inquired about in person."
Soon, Fan Sheng was brought in. His face was pale, with dark shadows under his eyes, and he looked as if his energy and spirit had been drained away. Song Qianzhao saw this and thought: After such a change, no one would be happy.
"Excuse me, Duke," Song Qianzhao suddenly asked, "Have you carefully checked the floor of that secret room?"
Fan Sheng was stunned when he heard this, "Floor?"
"I was wondering," Song Qianzhao said slowly, "Could someone have dug a tunnel and sneaked in?"
Fan Sheng shook his head slightly. "The ground is paved with stones, so it's incredibly solid. Even if someone damaged it, there would be obvious traces left. It's impossible for them to go unnoticed."
The gate cannot be entered and the underground cannot be dug. This is strange. Could it be that Monkey King turned into a fly and flew in?
Monkey King?
Song Qianzhao suddenly had an idea and blurted out, "Duke Yingguo, have any strange people come to you recently?"
"Strange person?" Fan Sheng's expression suddenly changed, and he stammered, "This..."
Song Qianzhao said solemnly: "If the Duke wants to clear his suspicion, he must tell the truth."
Fan Sheng looked embarrassed and hesitated, "A strange person did come to me a few days ago, but it has nothing to do with this case, so I won't mention it."
"He's a fat monk, right?"
Upon hearing this, Fan Sheng's pupils suddenly constricted and his face turned pale. "How did you know?"
Song Qianzhao naturally knew why Fan Sheng was so secretive, because that fat monk was specifically trying to trick people into rebellion, and others were afraid of being implicated, so who would dare to mention it?
At this moment, she felt a flash of inspiration in her mind, and asked, "Is there a window above your secret room?"
"A window?" Fan Sheng nodded, then shook his head. "It's not actually a window, but a vent hole to prevent someone from accidentally getting locked inside and suffocating. However, that vent hole is very narrow and impossible to enter."
Liu Ming'an's eyes suddenly lit up. "There's a magical technique called bone-shrinking that's circulated in the martial arts world. A master of it can tighten all of their muscles and bones, shrinking their body to the size of a child. Is it possible..."
"Impossible!" Fan Sheng flatly denied. "That thing is only the size of a palm. Even a three-year-old child can't fit into it. Even if the bone-shrinking technique really exists, it can only shorten the limbs at most, not the head."
"Duke Yingguo," Song Qianzhao asked, "Do you remember what kind of livestock followed that fat monk?"
After hearing this, Fan Sheng's body trembled, a smile of sudden enlightenment spread across his face, and he said excitedly: "That monkey!"
Liu Mingan and Yang Yuan were confused and asked in unison, "What monkey?"
Fan Sheng subconsciously raised his voice, "That fat monk brought a monkey with him!"
Yang Yuan was a little confused: "You mean... someone instructed a monkey to sneak into the secret room and put the letter in?"
"That must be it!" Fan Sheng's face flushed with excitement. "Thanks to Envoy Song for reminding me! Oh, why didn't I think of this earlier..."
Song Qianzhao smiled lightly: "As long as it is man-made, there will always be traces left. Send someone to investigate and the matter will be clear."
Liu Ming'an stroked his beard and nodded, "That's right. I'll arrange for someone to investigate right away."
"Wait!" Song Qianzhao suddenly stopped him, "Master Liu, this matter must be kept secret and must not be known to anyone other than those present."
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