Chapter 275 Hunter and Prey [9000 words three-in-one]
Han Palace.
The King of Han raised his glass, clinked it with Wang Yue’s, and said, “Brother Wang, let’s drink from this cup together!”
With the promotion of the Wang family, everything went very smoothly.
With the gradual reform of the imperial examination system, aristocratic families almost monopolized the source of Jinshi.
The Wang family has been deeply involved in the court for many years. There are people from the Wang family in the three provinces, six ministries and nine temples. With the operation of Jingzhao Yin, more than half of the local officials in the entire capital can participate in the condemnation of Li Xuanjing.
Now, everything is ready. We can just wait for the next court meeting to attack Li Xuanjing.
Wang Yue drank the wine in his glass and said, "Don't worry, no one can save him this time!"
After a long time, the slightly tipsy King Han returned to his bedroom.
A figure has been waiting here for a long time.
Seeing Jingzhao Yin, the King of Han smiled and said, "Fuzhi, you came at the right time. I didn't enjoy drinking just now. Let's drink a few more cups together!"
Wang Yue relied on his noble family background and looked down on others. In fact, the King of Han did not like to get along with him.
Only when you drink with a good friend can you enjoy your drink.
He picked up the wine pot on the table and poured a glass of wine for Jingzhao Yin himself. After Jingzhao Yin took it, he did not drink it and said, "Your Highness, Xie Xiaoyu is dead..."
The King of Han drank a cup by himself and asked casually: "Xie Xiaoyu, who is Xie Xiaoyu?"
Jing Zhao Yin took the wine pot from him, and the King of Han suddenly woke up and asked, "What, she died, how did she die, when did she die?"
The head gardener of the prince's inner palace was one of the last two participants in the events of the Eastern Palace.
Jingzhao Yin said slowly, "She died of a sudden illness last night. It is said that she was infected with some serious epidemic disease. In order to prevent it from spreading to others, her body was burned by her family that night."
The King of Han looked at him and asked, "Did you do this?"
Jing Zhao Yin said: "I thought it was your Highness who did it."
"I have never issued such an order." The King of Han looked suspicious and said, "It's not you, nor is it me. Could it be King You? He didn't let us do it, but did it himself. Doesn't he trust us?"
Jingzhao Yin thought for a moment and said, "It's also possible that no one did anything and she really died of a serious illness."
The King of Han asked, "Isn't this a good thing? Is Ding Fang still alive?"
Jingzhao Yin nodded and said, "He's still alive."
The King of Han waved his hand and said, "That's it. You don't have to be suspicious all the time. After this is over, find someone to get rid of Ding Fang, and no one will ever know about that matter. Come, drink, drink..."
He drank a few cups himself, and after getting drunk, he looked at Jingzhao Yin and suddenly asked, "Fuzhi, I have a question for you, and you must answer me honestly. I have wanted to ask you this question for a long time..."
Jingzhao Yin asked: "What's the problem?"
The King of Han looked him in the eyes and asked, "Father dotes on the Crown Prince so much, and the Crown Prince has been very kind to you. You followed the Crown Prince back then, and your future was bright. Why did you risk having your entire clan executed and choose me?"
Jing Zhao Yin thought for a moment and said, "When I entered the East Palace, the Crown Prince was already the Crown Prince. Everything I have was given by the Crown Prince. I have not done much for the Crown Prince. At that time, the Crown Prince had many followers, many of whom were relatives of the Crown Princess. Even if the Crown Prince ascended the throne, it would not be my turn to use me. But it is different with Your Highness. I will rise and fall with Your Highness. We have been together for all these years. I believe Your Highness will not treat me unfairly..."
The King of Han patted him on the shoulder and said, "Of course. If I ascend the throne, I cannot make you a marquis, but I will definitely make you a prime minister. By then, you will be second only to the emperor and above everyone else..."
Jingzhao Yin bowed to him and said, "I would like to thank you in advance, Your Highness."
He took the wine glass from the King of Han, helped him to the bed, and said, "Your Highness is drunk, you should rest for a while."
The King of Han lay on the bed, closed his eyes, waved his hand gently, and said: "I am indeed a little tired, you go and do your work, I will take a rest for a while."
Jingzhao Yin slowly walked out of the hall and closed the door.
On the brocade couch, the King of Han slowly opened his eyes. There was less drunkenness in his eyes, and more melancholy. He said, "Fuzhi, Fuzhi, after so many years, you are still unwilling to open your heart to me..."
A moment later, at Prince You's Mansion.
King You looked at Jingzhao Yin with a surprised look on his face and said, "It's not me. I didn't let anyone do it. What's wrong with her death?"
Jingzhao Yin pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Maybe she really died of illness."
King You's mind was no longer on this matter. He looked at Jingzhao Yin and said, "It doesn't matter whether she died of illness or not, as long as she is dead, it's fine. By the way, Lord Lin, have you ever considered coming to serve me? I can give you everything that King Han can give you, and I can give you more..."
Jingzhao Yin did not answer, but clasped his fists and said, "I'll take my leave."
Watching his departing figure, King You showed a look of regret on his face and said, "It is a pity that such a rare talent cannot be used by this king. Why did these smart people choose mediocre people? Lin Fuzhi is like this, and Li Xuanjing is also like this..."
He had tried to recruit Lin Fuzhi back then, but Lin Fuzhi chose the King of Han.
He also tried to recruit Li Xuanjing several times.
Li Xuanjing chose Prince Chun.
If I could get help from these two people, I wouldn't have to worry about not being able to accomplish my goal, and I wouldn't have to take the risk I did back then.
I really can’t figure it out…
The moment he stepped out of Prince You's Palace, the expression on Jingzhao Yin's face became more solemn.
He did not go to the Jingzhao government office, but went straight back to the Lin Mansion.
Soon, a carrier pigeon flew out of the Lin Mansion and soared into the sky...
at this time.
Mingjing Sitian Prison.
A middle-aged woman huddled in the corner of the cell, her body shaking uncontrollably.
At a certain moment, the cell door was opened. She looked up and her face immediately turned pale. She rolled over and kowtowed several times on the ground, saying in a trembling voice, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Xia looked down at her and said coldly: "Tell me what you did back then, and I will spare the lives of your entire clan and leave your body intact..."
When Xie Xiaoyu was caught by Mingjingsi, she knew that everything was over.
She has been very cautious over the years and dared not make any small mistakes.
Only what happened back then could be the reason why she was captured by the Mingjing Division.
Being able to save her entire clan and leave her body intact was a blessing she had never dared to imagine.
She was overjoyed and kowtowed like crazy, saying repeatedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I am willing to say anything!"
Not long after, Emperor Xia walked out of the Mingjingsi prison.
His full head of black hair had turned silver and wrinkles appeared on his face. In less than a quarter of an hour, he went from middle-aged to old.
Although everyone in the Mingjing Division was shocked, they did not dare to show the slightest surprise.
However, after he put a pill into his mouth and his aura fluctuated, his hair turned from white to black, the wrinkles on his face quickly disappeared, and his skin became tight again.
Emperor Xia let out a long breath and said, "Let Li Xuanjing come to see me."
After a long time, a figure slowly walked into the room, bowed to him, and said, "Your Majesty."
Emperor Xia asked, "When did you know about the Eastern Palace?"
Li Xuanjing said: "Not long ago."
Emperor Xia continued to ask: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Li Xuanjing said: "This is about the two princes. I dare not disturb Your Majesty without verification."
Emperor Xia glanced at him and asked, "Are you waiting for the Wang family to take action?"
Li Xuanjing was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I don't quite understand what you are saying..."
Emperor Xia waved his hand and said, "Alright, you don't have to pretend in front of me. You killed the eldest son of the Wang family at night to force the Wang family to take action. You took this opportunity to severely damage the Wang family and avenge your past. You have been with me for twenty years. Others may not understand you, but how can I not understand you?"
Li Xuanjing didn't say anything.
Emperor Xia did not show any expression of anger. He paused and said, "If you don't move, it's fine. If you move, you will leave no room for them and kill them all. No wonder people call you King Yan Li."
After he finished speaking, his tone changed, his eyes became deep, and he slowly said: "However, this is indeed a good excuse. Over the years, the Wang family has relied on the two semi-saints of martial arts to make them lose their names. It's time to remind them. As for Li Long and Li Xing..."
The expression on his face became complicated, and he gritted his teeth and said, "These two rebellious sons..."
…
Chang'an.
For ordinary people, today is an ordinary day.
For court officials, it is a little special. Today is the mid-month court meeting, and all officials above the fifth rank in Chang'an must get up early to attend.
It should have been a normal court meeting, but the atmosphere seemed extremely strange.
Many dignitaries who rarely attended court in the past came today, and they were all upper-class dignitaries.
Those who are in the first rank can only stand at the back.
In front of them were the Duke of the County, the Prince of the County, and the Prince.
The prince regent this month is the King of Han.
In previous court meetings, except for the prince who served as regent, the other princes would not appear.
But today, except for Prince Rui and Prince Gong who did not go to the palace, there were five princes in the hall.
King of Han, King of You, King of Xin, King of Xuan, King of Ji... In recent years, this scene of all the kings attending the same court was a spectacle that could only be seen at grand court meetings.
Just now, King You read a memorial in public.
In the memorial, the author cited the murderer of Fengyang County who was forcibly taken away from Zongzheng Temple some time ago as an introduction, and listed dozens of crimes, big and small, committed by Li Xuanjing, the Minister of Dali Temple.
These include forming cliques for personal gain, excluding dissidents, abusing power, abusing power, taking bribes and bending the law, murdering loyal officials, taking human lives lightly, killing innocent people indiscriminately, misleading the country and the people, and deceiving the emperor...
There is detailed evidence corresponding to each charge, and there is more than one.
It took King You nearly an hour just to read out this memorial.
In the end, he asked the three provinces to rectify the government, severely punish the treacherous and corrupt officials, restore stability to the court, and give the people a clear sky.
In the past, many people in the court had impeached Li Xuanjing.
But none of them was as grand as this one.
After King You finished his speech, King Xin, King Xuan and King Ji also expressed their support.
Four of the eight princes who served as regents stood up.
Then came a group of dignitaries who seconded the motion.
The princes include the Prince of Ruyang, the Prince of Dingping, the Prince of Xingyang, and the Prince of Dongping.
The county dukes include the Duke of Le'an, the Duke of Jinyang, the Duke of Xinping, and the Duke of Linru.
The marquises include Marquis of Shouyang, Marquis of Lantian, Marquis of Huaiyang, Marquis of Yunyang, and Marquis of Fengyang. As for the earls and viscounts, they have no qualifications to stand out at all.
Following these dignitaries, some ministers also stood up.
Almost all officials from the Jingzhao government office and the Zongzheng Temple were mobilized, led by the Zongzheng Temple Minister and the Jingzhao Yin.
There were two Zhongshu Sheren in the Secretariat, Shangshu Zuocheng and Zuosi Langzhong in the Shangshu Province, and one Huangmen Shilang and two Jieshizhong in the Menxia Province.
Officials from the Taichang Temple, Taipu Temple, Taifu Temple, Guanglu Temple, and Weiwei Temple also stood up. Among the six ministries, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Right Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War...
More than half of the three provinces, six ministries and nine temples stood up to support King You.
The Honglu Temple has almost no presence, the Dali Temple is Li Xuanjing's territory, the Sinong Temple is not interested in anything other than growing vegetables, and except for the Ministry of Justice, the three provinces, six ministries and nine temples are all included.
However, the Censorate, which had always impeached Li Xuanjing the most, remained silent, which was unusual in this collective impeachment.
This is the first time since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty that so many powerful officials have impeached one person.
Even Your Majesty, faced with such an occasion, probably cannot act on his own.
It’s a pity that the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple did not come to court today, otherwise, all the court officials would know whether the usually calm Chief Justice of the Dali Temple could remain calm in such an occasion.
Faced with the impeachment of the people, as the prince regent, the King of Han did not make any decision in the court.
He announced that the matter would be discussed next time because it was a serious matter.
As the decision-making body of the court, all the pressure after the court was adjourned came to the Secretariat.
Secretariat.
There was a mountain of memorials on the table in front of the two Zhongshu Shilang.
They looked at each other with serious expressions and solemn gazes.
These memorials came from the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples, all the states and counties in the capital area, countless dignitaries in Chang'an, petitions from students in academies, and even the two secretaries of the Secretariat.
Just like what happened in the court just now, all the memorials pointed to the same person.
Li Xuanjing, the Minister of Dali Temple.
These impeachment memorials are merely a continuation of what just happened in the court.
Such a situation is more than enough to impeach the two prime ministers.
Under the promotion of the Jinyang Wang family, the King of Han and the King of You, in a rare alliance, expanded the situation to such an extent. They must have a big plan in targeting Li Xuanjing.
Thinking about what happened at the court meeting just now, I was afraid that something big was about to happen.
The Secretariat now faces a choice.
If we comply with the orders of the King of Han and the King of You, it will certainly cause dissatisfaction to Your Majesty.
But with so many memorials submitted, they couldn't just pretend they didn't see them.
This puts them in a dilemma.
Just as they were struggling, two figures slowly walked into the yamen.
Seeing this, the two men bowed.
"See the Secretary-General."
"I have met the Minister of the Chancellery."
The left and right prime ministers do not necessarily attend all court meetings.
They were not in the hall during the court meeting just now.
The right prime minister walked to the table, picked up a few memorials at random, flipped through them, and then threw them aside. He said calmly: "Such a big show, this is to purge the emperor's side, it's rare to see, rare to see..."
The left assistant minister of the Central Secretariat had a bitter look on his face and said, "Sir Right Prime Minister, please stop making sarcastic remarks. This matter has really become a big deal. What should we do?"
The Right Prime Minister waved his hand and said, "Ask the Minister of the Central Secretariat. Li Xuanjing is his disciple. He should make the decision on whether to clear the sect."
Upon hearing this, the other old man said calmly, "Since the Right Prime Minister is interested, then issue an imperial decree immediately and have the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Imperial Censorate go to the Dali Temple to arrest the person. If there is resistance, kill him on the spot."
The Right Prime Minister was stunned when he heard this and asked in shock: "Are you really going to kill me?"
Li Xuanjing made him extremely conflicted.
Sometimes he did things that made him want to chop off his head a hundred times.
But sometimes, his actions made him unable to help but applaud.
Li Xuanjing was in the court, and he was so angry that he had a headache.
But if Li Xuanjing was really gone, the people of Chang'an would probably have to suffer again.
It's not good to have Li Xuanjing in the court.
But without Li Xuanjing, things would definitely get worse.
The left prime minister looked at him and asked, "Isn't that what the right prime minister meant?"
The right prime minister moved his lips and finally said, "In order to prevent the situation from escalating, we have to arrest him, but there is no need to kill him on the spot. He is a third-rank official after all, so it is better to temporarily detain him in the Censorate and wait for Your Majesty to deal with him..."
The left prime minister looked at the two ministers and said, "Did you hear that? Then do as the right prime minister says."
After a moment, the right prime minister stamped his seal on the imperial edict, then realized something, raised his head suddenly, looked at the left prime minister, and said angrily: "You old fox..."
Just as the imperial edict was being drafted, an official rushed in and said in panic, "My Lords, something bad has happened outside!"
Something did happen in Chang'an.
After the court meeting ended, the officials and dignitaries who had impeached Li Xuanjing in the hall did not return to their mansions or offices, but gathered at the palace gate.
Then they walked along Chang'an Avenue.
These people were powerful and included officials from the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples, as well as various departments in the court.
Obviously, the impeachment at the court meeting was just the beginning of this action.
"Clear the emperor's side and punish the treacherous officials!"
"Kill the treacherous ministers and rectify the government!"
The crowd shouted such slogans and walked on Chang'an Avenue. As they moved forward, the team continued to expand.
Figures continued to emerge from the residences of powerful officials and join the parade.
Some people who didn't know what was going on, seeing how loud the commotion was, boldly followed the crowd and shouted at the top of their lungs.
Almost at the same time, groups of students appeared from large and small academies in Chang'an. They were filled with righteous indignation and excitement. They shouted the same slogans, walked out of the academies, and marched in the same direction.
The people had never seen such a scene before, and most of them hid in their homes, not going out, with only a pair of eyes showing from behind the doors or in front of the windows.
The shops on the street also closed their doors one after another. Passers-by and peddlers, seeing this from afar, immediately hid in the alleys.
At this moment, the slogans of "clear the emperor's side and punish the treacherous officials" and "kill the treacherous ministers and rectify the government" could be heard throughout Chang'an.
The Censorate and the Ministry of Justice had already received the imperial edicts from the three provinces, and hurriedly gathered their troops and headed to Li's mansion.
In many government offices, officials were not in the mood to work and were always paying attention to what was happening outside.
They will never encounter such a big event in their lifetime.
Prince Rui's Palace.
Prince Rui stood at the entrance of the palace, listening to the deafening noise outside, with a look of shock on his face, muttering, "No way, are they serious?"
There was a trace of worry on his face, and he murmured, "Li Xuanjing, Li Xuanjing, you must hold on, don't let me down..."
Prince Chun's Mansion.
Prince Chun summoned all the palace guards, mounted his horse hastily, and said, "Let's go to Li's house!"
There was no one left on the street in front of Li's house.
As one parade after another appeared, the empty streets were gradually blocked by people.
There was a huge crowd of people, with no end in sight.
King You stood in front of the gate of Li's mansion, and behind him stood King Xin, King Xuan, and King Ji.
After them came the Jingzhao Yin, the Zongzheng Temple Minister, and many dignitaries and court officials.
The King of Han stood beside King You and said, "Calm down, calm down..."
However, his persuasion was just talk.
The gate of Li's mansion was tightly closed. King You looked at the plaque of Li's mansion, waved his hand, and said, "Go in, clear out the emperor's entourage, and punish the treacherous officials!"
"Clear the emperor's side and punish the treacherous officials!"
"Clear the emperor's side and punish the treacherous officials!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd responded.
“Wait!”
A shocked and angry voice came from behind.
Prince Chun arrived with his people, walked through the crowd, glared at Prince You and others, and asked, "Do you want to rebel?"
King You looked at him and said calmly, "No one wants to rebel. We just want to rectify the government and kill the traitor Li Xuanjing for our father, and bring peace to the court!"
Prince Chun blocked the door of Li's house and said angrily: "Without the order of the emperor, you are rebelling!"
The troops brought by Prince Chun were really insignificant compared to the crowd outside Li's mansion. A group of students surrounded them, and they were caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
King You waved his hand, and someone forcibly took King Chun aside.
Wang Yue led a few people forward and punched out, causing the gate of Li's mansion to collapse.
Compared with the tense atmosphere outside, the Li Mansion was exceptionally relaxed and harmonious.
Two pretty little girls who looked exactly the same were surrounding a person who looked like a middle-aged woman, laughing and playing.
There were some figures everywhere in the courtyard, gathered in twos and threes, talking and laughing in low voices.
After Wang Yue walked into the yard, he seemed to be unable to hear any sounds from outside.
It's not as if, it's really that I can't hear it.
But the slogans outside "Clear the imperial court, punish the treacherous and corrupt" were shouted so loudly that he could see their trembling lips and flying saliva when he turned around. How could he not hear the sound when he was only a few steps away?
It was as if there was an invisible barrier separating the inside and outside of the mansion.
The noise coming from the door attracted the attention of the people in the courtyard.
Everyone's eyes turned over.
There seemed to be substantial pressure coming towards them. Wang Yue and several people beside him could not help but take a few steps back. On the contrary, King You and others who came in later did not seem to be affected.
As masters themselves, they can clearly feel the pressure from more than ten masters.
But what put Wang Yue the most pressure on was the middle-aged woman who never even looked at them.
There was no fluctuation of true energy on her body, but she did not conceal the other aura on her body.
Wang Yue would never forget this kind of aura. It was exactly the same aura as the two ancestors of his family.
How could there be the sixth realm in the Li Mansion? Did he invite the leader of the Sanqing Sect?
He wanted to retreat, but found that he could not move.
King You could not sense the Grandmaster, let alone recognize the Sixth Realm. After entering Li's residence, his eyes were searching for Li Xuanjing's figure.
He quickly found Li Xuanjing.
He was playing chess with someone at the stone table in the yard.
King You naturally knew that Li Xuanjing liked to pretend to be calm no matter what the situation was, but at this time, he still had the mind to play chess, which was a bit too much.
He walked slowly to Li Xuanjing, looked at him indifferently, and was about to speak when he suddenly realized that the person sitting with his back to him and playing chess with Li Xuanjing looked familiar.
He walked to the side and took a look. His expression changed instantly and he said in a lost voice: "Father!"
Prince Chun walked in quickly and was startled when he saw the familiar figure. Then a look of joy immediately appeared on his face.
Outside the Li Mansion.
The King of Han waited for a while, and found that King You had not come out yet, so he could not help but walk in, muttering: "Why did it take so long..."
Prince Xin, Prince Xuan, and Prince Ji also walked in.
But after they went in, not only did no one come out, but not even a sound was heard from inside.
Something seems to be wrong.
A prince finally couldn't hold back any longer and strode into the Li Mansion, muttering, "Why don't they come out? Let me see what's going on..."
Several princes, a number of dignitaries, and many officials entered Li's mansion, but did not come out for a long time.
The people waiting outside were almost hoarse from shouting slogans, and their voices gradually became quieter.
The originally passionate slogans became somewhat weak and lost their previous momentum.
Finally, after they could no longer shout, some people wanted to go in to watch the fun. A young man walked out of Li's house, stretched out his hand to stop them, and said, "Don't go in. There's no room to kneel inside..."
As he finished speaking, the ground suddenly shook, stirring up a layer of fine smoke and dust.
Just when people thought it was an earthquake, the people at the outermost edge found that they were surrounded by a group of guards in black armor.
Although the people inside could not see the scene outside, they found that there were suddenly some armored figures on the roofs of the surrounding houses.
"Imperial Guards!"
"Who sent the imperial guards here?"
"What are the Imperial Guards doing here? Are they arresting Li Xuanjing?"
The common people and students in the academy who were there to join in the fun might not know who those people were, but all the powerful officials present knew them.
The Imperial Guards are your Majesty's personal guards. Although your Majesty does not need anyone to protect him, wherever the Imperial Guards appear, it means your Majesty's will is within reach.
The appearance of the Imperial Guards indicates that His Majesty has learned about the matter, but I don’t know how His Majesty will deal with it.
At this time, there was finally movement at the gate of Li's mansion.
Emperor Xia walked out of the Li family's house and said, "What a satisfying game of chess. Although I lost, I lost happily."
After a moment of surprise, everyone, no matter they were dignitaries or officials, knelt on the ground and shouted, "Your Majesty!"
At this moment, they were filled with shock and confusion.
Why is Your Majesty here?
Although the students in the academy and the common people who came to join in the fun did not know the emperor, when they saw the person in front of them kneeling, they immediately knelt down without hesitation.
Emperor Xia glanced at the officials in front of the Li Mansion and said, "It's time to go to the government office. Why are you here instead of working in the government office? The court gave you salaries, not for you to hang around. Since you don't like going to the government office, you don't have to go there anymore."
This simple remark undoubtedly completely ended their official careers.
The officials knelt on the ground, trembling and not daring to answer.
Emperor Xia walked back to Li's Mansion. At this moment, a large number of people were kneeling inside the Mansion.
He walked to the stone table and sat down, looking at the King of Han and King You who were kneeling in front of him, and asked, "Tell me, what do you want to do?"
King You and King Han looked at each other, and finally, it was King Han who spoke first: "Li Xuanjing controls the government and does things perversely. He does not take the court or the law seriously at all. The court officials and the people have been resentful for a long time, and today he even caused a riot in Chang'an. This son has the responsibility of supervising the country this month, so I came to Li's house to check on the situation."
King You immediately said, "Father, there are hundreds of memorials impeaching Li Xuanjing today, which shows how much resentment the officials and the people have towards him. This son is doing this for the sake of the court and the world..."
Emperor Xia asked, "When you plotted to murder the crown prince, was it also for the sake of the court and the world?"
His voice was calm, but to the ears of King Han and King You, it was as if they were falling into an icy cave.
Prince Chun, Prince Xin, Prince Xuan, and Prince Ji turned their heads at the same time and looked at them in extreme shock.
Not far away, Wang Yue was kneeling at the door. Although his body could not move, his heart was already filled with turmoil.
King You and King Han conspired to murder the crown prince?
How is that possible?
The King of Han actually hid such a big thing from the Wang family!
The officials and dignitaries kneeling in the courtyard also showed expressions of extreme astonishment on their faces.
At this moment, things like clearing out the imperial court and punishing treacherous officials are no longer important.
Murdering the crown prince, King You and King Han murdered the crown prince?
How could this happen!
Didn’t the prince die of illness that year?
After they came to their senses, there was no more shock in their hearts, only fear.
The King of Han and the King of You conspired to kill the crown prince.
Even if they were princes, this was an unforgivable crime.
And today, they followed the King of Han and the King of You to force the emperor to abdicate... Your Majesty, you don't think that they are accomplices of the King of Han and the King of You, right?
The King of Han and the King of You were so frightened that they had completely forgotten about Li Xuanjing. The King of You said in horror, "Father, what are you talking about? How could a son of yours murder the Crown Prince? You must not listen to the slander of the treacherous villains!"
The King of Han also immediately said: "Yes, father, this must be Li Xuanjing's evil plan, you must not be deceived by him!"
Emperor Xia looked at them and said calmly, "He Dong, Xu Zhi, Gu Wenhan, Zheng Tianxing, Wu Zongguang, Xue Xue, Zeng Yan, Sun Jin, Xie Xiaoyu, Ding Fang... Why, do you need me to tell you how you murdered the crown prince in front of everyone present?"
The bodies of King Han and King You collapsed at the same time.
If they only say that they plotted to murder the prince, they still have a glimmer of hope.
Saying these names one by one means that the emperor already knows everything and there is no possibility of quibbling.
They thought they were the hunters today, but unexpectedly, they were the prey.
As the King of Han and King of You fell, the kneeling figures in the courtyard also fell down.
It's over.
This is the only thought in some people's minds before they pass out.
Although the Crown Prince and other princes are all Your Majesty's children, the Crown Prince and other princes mean completely different things to Your Majesty.
The Crown Prince is the only child born to Your Majesty and the late Queen before you ascended the throne. Naturally, Your Majesty’s feelings for him are incomparable to those for other princes.
If not for this, he would not have become completely decadent after the crown prince's death, ignoring state affairs, pursuing immortality wholeheartedly, and not appointing another crown prince.
To murder the crown prince is tantamount to treason. King You and King Han were so bold...
Li Gan, the prince of Han, also knelt among the crowd.
How could he not witness the killing of Li Xuanjing with his own eyes?
Although he failed to witness Li Xuanjing, he witnessed something else.
The prince was actually killed by his father?
In his eyes, his father has always been a timid and cowardly person.
I never expected that my timid and cowardly father would do such a bold thing.
At this moment, in addition to the fear of the future, for the first time, he felt admiration for his father in his heart.
This contradictory feeling made him feel complicated and indescribable for a moment.
Outside the Li Mansion, just when everyone's legs were almost numb from kneeling, a figure holding a whisk walked out of the Li Mansion and shouted in a shrill voice: "Han Wang Li Long and You Wang Li Xing have committed the crime of murdering the crown prince. They are unforgivable. They will be stripped of their princely titles, demoted to commoners, and escorted to the Dali Temple to await their fate..."
The powerful officials who were still kneeling outside were all bewildered and shocked when they heard this.
What do you mean by plotting to murder the crown prince? Aren’t you here to kill Li Xuanjing?
The students from various colleges also had confused looks on their faces. Obviously, they did not expect such a result.
Even if the current emperor showed up and protected Li Xuanjing, they would still dare to argue if they had to.
But out of nowhere, an attempt to murder the prince emerged and no one knew what to do.
At this time, the eunuch continued, "Students from all the major academies can leave on their own because they have been deceived. The rest of you will be handed over to the Dali Temple to investigate whether they have any connection with the case of the rebellion of King Han and King You, and then they will be dealt with..."
Originally, we came here to gather numbers, but now we may end up giving away our lives.
Once it arrived at the Dali Temple and fell into the hands of Li Xuanjing, they had no say on whether it was related to the case of treason.
For a moment, the crowd wailed.
"It's unfair, it's unfair!"
"When the prince died, I hadn't come to Chang'an yet. How could I be related to the conspiracy case?"
"I am loyal to Your Majesty. Heaven can bear witness to my loyalty. Heaven can bear witness to my loyalty!"
"Someone paid me to come here. I don't know anything. I don't know anything. Can't I just return the money to you?"
"Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
…
There was chaos inside and outside the Li Mansion.
Including the King of Han and the King of You, all the people who had been kneeling in Li's Mansion just now were dragged away by the imperial guards.
Those masters were given extra care and their entire bodies of cultivation were sealed.
Emperor Xia looked at the middle-aged woman and said, "The royal family's scandal has made Master Su laugh at it."
The middle-aged woman didn't say anything. Emperor Xia looked at Li Xuanjing and said, "Master Su has arrived in Chang'an. Please entertain him well for me. I will return to the palace first."
After saying this, he took one last look at the middle-aged woman, took a step forward, and his figure disappeared on the spot.
Li Nuo's eyes widened in shock at this scene.
Seeing his fuss, the middle-aged woman smiled and said, "There's nothing to be surprised about. The emperors of the five dynasties all had great luck. This is just an ordinary trick..."
(End of this chapter)
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