The son left the ancestral hall!
The hot July is about to pass, but it took Emperor Yugan a full month and a half for him to receive the news that Qu Changqing had been found!
When Old Lady Gu heard the news, she felt like a heavy burden on her heart had finally fallen to the ground!
But two days later, news came from the palace that Qu Changqing was seriously injured at the border and was being sent to Kyoto by carriage!
The dark clouds that had finally dispersed over the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion gathered again because of this news!
As the day of going to Beijing draws closer, Old Lady Gu and Ji Shuyu become more and more nervous, and they are all worried about the severity of Qu Changqing's injuries!
On this day, Yun Qianmeng calculated that it was the day when Qu Changqing would return to Beijing, so she came to the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion early from the Prime Minister's Residence to accompany the Old Lady and others!
However, after waiting from morning to noon, and then from noon to dusk, Guard Ma still did not come to bring Qu Changqing back!
Everyone felt something was amiss and was wondering when a voice called out "The Imperial Edict has arrived" came from the door!
The eunuch, dressed in the uniform of a chief eunuch, walked into the Fuguo Mansion, carrying a bright yellow silk imperial edict in his hand, surrounded by a group of young eunuchs. After the old lady and others knelt, he opened the imperial edict and read in a shrill voice, "By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Qu Changqing, the eldest grandson of the Fuguo Mansion and the Minister of War, has smuggled letters and tokens from an enemy country and is suspected of treason. Effective immediately, he is dismissed from his position as Minister of War and handed over to the Three Courts for trial. The rest of the Fuguo Mansion shall not be summoned or allowed to leave. This is my decree!"
As soon as the imperial edict was read out, before anyone could kowtow and thank her, Old Lady Gu fell to the side...
【82】
"Mother!", "Grandmother!", "Grandmother!", "Old Lady!"
When the people in the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion saw that the usually strong and calm Old Madam Gu had closed her eyes and fainted, they cried out in shock and did not bother to respond to the order. They rushed forward one after another and helped Old Madam Gu up carefully. They saw the nanny who followed Old Madam Gu carefully holding the old madam Gu and quickly pressing her philtrum with one hand, but Old Madam Gu did not wake up. Frightened, everyone immediately asked the maids and old women to call for a young doctor and bring a couch!
Seeing her mother-in-law like this, Ji Shuyu was "deeply shocked, but she was also a person who could keep a calm mind. She personally helped Old Lady Gu lie down on the soft couch, and told the jealous people to serve her well. Only then did she turn around and kneel down to receive the imperial edict!
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" Ji Shuyu, Qu Feiqing and Yun Qianmeng kowtowed to express their gratitude, then stood up. She just looked at the imperial edict in her hand and thought about the current situation in the mansion. Even though Ji Shuyu appeared calm on the surface, her heart was in a mess. All the things were mixed together, and even she, who was good at handling the affairs of the Marquis's Mansion, had anxiety in her eyes and worry on her face!
"Madam Hou, please be at ease! If the young master has not done this, the emperor will definitely clear his name!
"The eunuch saw such a huge change in the Fuguo Mansion today, and saw that there was not even a man in charge in the mansion. He sighed in his heart that things are impermanent, and said a few words of advice!
Ji Shuyu nodded palely at the eunuch and spoke slowly, "Thank you for your comfort! Not only is my son loyal to Xi Chu and wholeheartedly serving the emperor, but even the entire Fuguo Mansion is also loyal to the emperor and will never engage in treason! The emperor is a famous emperor throughout history, and I naturally believe that the emperor will clear Changqing and the Fuguo Mansion of all charges!"
"Of course!" After hearing Ji Shuyu's toughness, the eunuch nodded and turned to leave!
Yun Qianmeng frowned slightly when she heard this, her bright eyes drooped, then suddenly raised her head again, looked calmly at the father-in-law who was about to leave, and said to him, "Please stay, father-in-law."
Hearing Yun Qianmeng's voice, the eunuch slowly stopped and turned around with a calm face. Seeing that it was the eldest daughter of the Xiangfu who spoke, his expression eased a little, and he asked, "I wonder what's the matter, Miss Yun?
Yun Qianmeng took a small step forward, her eyes drooping as she looked at the eunuch who had served the Yugan Emperor for many years. She calmly asked, "I wonder how the Empress Dowager is doing right now? Does the Emperor have any comment?"
When Yun Qianmeng said this, not only the eunuch, but also Ji Shuyu and Qu Feiqing looked at her in surprise, but they reacted in an instant. Yun Qianmeng asked this question at this time just to find out what kind of attitude Emperor Yu Gan held towards this matter?
And his attitude towards the Queen Mother can be seen from his attitude!
Seeing that the eldest daughter of the Yun Xiang Mansion was so meticulous and calm, and was able to find a way out even in such a sudden situation, the chief eunuch, who wanted to stop interfering in the matter, raised his hand and asked the eunuch following him to step back three steps. Then he quietly opened his mouth to the three people in front of him.
Before I left the palace, the Emperor simply sent a young eunuch to Fengxiang Palace to ask the Empress Dowager to stay well there today! He didn't say anything else!
Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Although Emperor Yugan did not strictly order the Queen Mother to stay in Fengxiang Palace, this action had made the Queen Mother suspected as well. It was probably impossible to ask for help from the Queen Mother at this moment!
"If Miss Yun has nothing else to say, I will go back to the palace first!" Seeing that Yun Qianmeng did not continue to ask, and because the Fuguo Mansion was a hot potato now, the eunuch did not want to implicate himself and felt that he could not stay here for long, so he bowed slightly to the three people and turned around with the eunuchs and walked out of the gate of the Fuguo Mansion!
"Mother! This is a false accusation! How could my brother do such a thing? Our Qu family has been loyal for generations. Why does the emperor suspect us?" After experiencing so many things today, Qu Feiqing is no longer the carefree and simple-minded young lady from a noble family. Today, she is unexpectedly calm and composed!
However, Qu Changqing was injured and imprisoned, the old lady had fainted, and her own father was in critical condition. Qu Feiqing's heart was filled with torment. Looking at the backs of the eunuchs, she asked anxiously in a low voice!
And these questions are also what Ji Shuyu wants to know!
But at this time, Emperor Yu Gan ordered that no one in the Fuguo Mansion should go out. Even if they wanted to inquire about the news, they would be powerless!
"My concubine, never doubt the Emperor's decision at any time! Especially now that our Fuguo Mansion is in trouble, you must not speak without restraint! Otherwise, it will be used by those with ulterior motives, and our Fuguo Mansion will be destroyed without a burial place, understand?" Ji Shuyu asked the servant to close the door of the Fuguo Mansion and immediately instructed Gui sternly!
Qu Feiqing rarely had such a harsh expression and tone when she saw Ji Shuyu. She realized her loss of composure for a moment and immediately nodded obediently without saying anything!
"Aunt, let's go see grandma as soon as possible! This incident must have been a big blow to grandma!" Looking at the servants standing in the front yard, Yun Qianmeng approached the two of them and whispered!
Ji Shuyu nodded slightly and led the two of them to Ruitianyuan!
At this time, the maids and old women in Ruihe Courtyard were also standing in the yard. The three of them stepped into the inner room and saw several imperial doctors applying heat to the old lady. The maids and old women beside them all had sad faces. When they saw Ji Shuyu and the other two come in, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had found their backbone!
"How is mother?" Seeing that her mother-in-law's face was covered with silver needles, Ji Shuyu quickly walked to the bed and asked anxiously!
An imperial physician stood up from beside the bed and bowed to Ji Shuyu before speaking. "Madam, the old lady has been suddenly traumatized, and now that she's old, her body can't handle it! We're currently applying a remedy to her. First, calm her mind. Once she regains consciousness, we'll administer herbal remedies to strengthen her condition."
Hearing the imperial physician say this, Ji Shuyu nodded slightly, and looked at Old Lady Gu on the bed with eyes full of worry, but in his heart he felt a little relieved. Fortunately, the imperial edict just now did not recall all the imperial physicians. Otherwise, with the current situation of the Fuguo Mansion, there was only Doctor Nie in the mansion, and he was afraid that he would not be able to take care of it!
"Madam Hou, the old lady has woken up!" At this time, several imperial doctors immediately spoke!
Ji Shuyu, Qu Feiqing, and Yun Ganmeng stepped forward at the same time, watching the imperial physician remove the silver needles from the old lady's face. They took a few steps closer and half-knelt in front of the bed, staring at the old lady nervously. Qu Feiqing asked bitterly, "Grandma, you're finally awake!"
Old Lady Gu looked around at the bedside, seeing her room packed with people. The events of the front yard flashed back to her mind, and her heart sank. She cast a cold glance at Yan Ji, who stood at the foot of the bed. She saw the nanny immediately lead the doctors out of the inner room. When only the four of them were left in the room, Old Lady Gu spoke firmly. "The Prince of the State's Mansion would never commit treason! This incident must have been a deliberate frame-up!"
Yun Qianmeng saw that Old Lady Gu had a stern expression and a firm tone. Although he knew that the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion was loyal, he was secretly thinking about the whole thing in his heart. He knew that this matter must have been a carefully planned thing. It was so sudden and unexpected that Emperor Yugan issued an imperial decree accusing the Duke of Fuguo of treason and collaborating with the enemy. Who could bear such a serious crime?
Even if Changqing is proven innocent in the future, I am afraid that in the eyes of the world, the Fuguo Mansion will have a precedent of treason and collaborating with the enemy, and its status in the court will definitely be much lower than before!
The person who set up the scheme was very meticulous and meticulous, which is probably beyond the reach of ordinary people!
He knew very well the relationship between Emperor Yugan and the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, and that the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion was also very trusting of him on ordinary days. Ordinary trivial matters would certainly not affect the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion's status and weight in Emperor Yugan's heart. So he designed an act of treason and collaborating with the enemy, so that even if Emperor Yugan was reluctant, he would have to kill him in order to stabilize the court!
Moreover, at this time even the Queen Mother was placed under house arrest in disguise. I am afraid that what Emperor Yugan did was not just to cover up people's gossip. I am afraid that he has already really doubted the Fuguo Mansion in his heart!
After all, emperors of all dynasties are the most intolerant of ministers who are disloyal. No matter how much the Fuguogong Mansion has sacrificed before Emperor Yugan ascended the throne, he will not be soft-hearted in such matters. He would rather kill a hundred people by mistake than let one go!
However, in the Western Chu Dynasty, there are many people who want to separate the relationship between the Queen Mother, the Prince of Fuguo Mansion and Emperor Yugan. It is probably impossible to find the murderer at this time!
How could Ji Shuyu not know that her son was framed? But at this moment, they were imprisoned in the Fuguo Mansion. It was impossible for them to go out and find out the news. Even though they were extremely anxious, they could not do anything. This made Ji Shuyu's brows even more anxious and worried!
"Grandmother, the Emperor has now placed the Empress Dowager under house arrest in Fengxiang Palace! Now, Third Uncle has not only taken the position of Minister of Revenue, but has also attached himself to Prince Chen. I'm afraid they will use this incident to bring down the Prince of the State's Mansion! Grandmother, you absolutely cannot fall at this time, otherwise I'm afraid those villains will be the ones who are most happy!"
Although Qu Feiqing knew that it was not appropriate to let Old Madam Gu know too many things, so as to prevent the old lady from getting into trouble again, the Fuguo Mansion was facing a moment of life and death at this time. Old Madam Gu always had her own ideas, so these situations naturally had to be told to her to see if there was any way to resolve them!
Upon hearing this, a sneer crossed Old Lady Gu's face. Then, with Ji Shuyu's support, she slowly sat up, finally taking a deep breath. "Our enemies aren't just Qu Yan! Anyone with power wants to seize the throne! We're just stepping stones for others! I don't care what others think, or how much they want to sit on the throne. I only want to protect my grandson, the Fuguo Mansion, and the Qu family's reputation as a loyal and virtuous family for generations! And now, Changqing has been imprisoned. The mastermind behind this will surely do everything in their power to make him confess. I believe Changqing would rather die than surrender, but I'm worried someone will falsify his claims!"
The people that Old Lady Gu was talking about were probably Su Yuan and the others!
The Three Courts Joint Trial was conducted by the three chiefs of the judicial departments jointly during the reigns of the Western Chu monarchs, and the final decision was made by the emperor!
The three chief judicial officials are the Minister of Punishment, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Left Censor-in-Chief!
The Left Censor-in-Chief is Lord Qin, who is known in Western Chu for his impartiality and integrity. He always judges people by the facts, which is why he is deeply trusted by the emperor. Therefore, he will be the presiding judge of Qu Changqing's case, and there is no need to worry about unjust or wrongful convictions!
However, Su Yuan, as the Minister of Justice, has had a long-standing grudge against Yun Qianmeng. I'm afraid that he will use this incident to discredit Qu Changqing and attempt to destroy the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion!
In addition, this person is cruel and ruthless. Seeing that Qu Changqing refuses to plead guilty, he will probably not treat Qu Changqing well. If no one stops him, the 1,001 punishments of the Ministry of Justice will probably be used on Qu Changqing!
Although the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple only tried criminal cases and reviewed cases tried by the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, he was still a very important person!
Especially since we don’t know who this Dali Temple Minister belongs to, it becomes even more difficult!
After carefully sorting out the connections within her mind, Yun Qianmeng spoke calmly. "Grandmother, there's no need to worry too much! Usually, for crimes of treason and collaborating with the enemy, the escorting officers have the right to execute first and report later! But this time, the Emperor has handed the case over to the three courts for trial, indicating that he, too, is filled with doubts about this matter!"
I was afraid of wrongfully accusing a virtuous person, and I was also afraid of hurting my relationship with the Empress Dowager and the Fuguo Mansion, so I made this decision! Moreover, although Su Yuan is among the three officials, Lord Qin is an upright and good official. He has always spoken frankly and never feared power. I believe Lord Qin will not let my cousin suffer in vain! Moreover, the emperor has not allowed anyone from the Fuguo Mansion to go out at this time, and my granddaughter thinks it is a good thing! "
After saying this, Yun Qianmeng paused for a moment, waiting for the other three to digest what she had just said!
Sure enough, after listening to Yun Qianmeng's analysis, Old Lady Gu's complexion brightened slightly and she nodded. Concubine Qu seemed to see hope and immediately grabbed Yun Qianmeng and asked anxiously, "Meng'er, we are under house arrest. Is this a good thing?"
Yun Ganmeng, however, reached out and patted Qu Feiqing's hand before reopening the conversation. "The Duke of Fuguo's Mansion has been isolated from the outside world. It seems that my cousin's affairs have implicated the Marquisate, but this also prevents those with ulterior motives from disturbing us! My cousin is in prison, and my uncle is unconscious. If those with ulterior motives knew about this and crushed my grandmother, wouldn't the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion still belong to them? But this imperial edict has helped us, preventing unnecessary trouble for us! Moreover, this matter came so suddenly, and the ministers at court are not incompetent. Someone will definitely raise questions and clear my cousin's name!"
Yun Qianmeng's words and analysis were so reasonable that even Old Lady Gu had to look at her with new eyes, while Concubine Qu Ji Shuyu had already shown joy in her eyes!
"However, we must also prepare all necessary countermeasures! If the situation worsens, we won't be thrown into disarray like we have today!"
However, the emperor's mind is hard to predict. It is said that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. How many people can truly guess the emperor's thoughts?
Emperor Yugan even placed the Queen Mother under house arrest today, which means that he will not meet the Queen Mother before there is a clear judgment on this matter, so as to avoid having his own decision influenced by the Queen Mother's words!
But from another perspective, Emperor Yugan is also an extremely suspicious king. The Queen Mother has no children, and she is the one who raised him since he was a child and put him on the throne. The mother and son have a deep relationship. But even with such a relationship, Emperor Yugan is unwilling to believe the Queen Mother who is wholeheartedly scheming for him. It can be seen that those who claim to be emperors are ruthless and heartless!
However, Yun Ganmeng did not say these words out loud. First, he was afraid of discouraging the old lady and others. Second, he was afraid that the words would be heard by Emperor Yu Gan. Third, with the old lady's shrewdness and wisdom, she must have thought of this a long time ago, and everyone just kept it to themselves and did not want to mention it!
"Meng'er, you should go back to the Prime Minister's Mansion as soon as possible! Such a disaster has occurred this time, and I must not let you be implicated again!" Seeing that she had such a smart granddaughter, Old Lady Gu was naturally relieved. However, when she thought of the current situation of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, she hurriedly wanted Yun Qianmeng to get away quickly and not be dragged down by the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion!
Yun Qian dreamed that Old Lady Gu was already busy with her own affairs, yet she was still thinking about herself. Although she was reluctant to leave, she couldn't just sit there and wait for death, so she nodded and said, "Grandma, don't worry. If anything happens, Meng'er will tell you in time!"
Seeing her sensible attitude, Old Lady Gu was touched, but also worried. "You are outside the palace, so news will naturally arrive faster than here! However, in everything, your own safety is the most important thing. Don't take any risks!"
Yun Qianmeng nodded, bowed to the three of them, then turned and left Ruini Courtyard, and quickly walked out of the Fuguo Mansion with Mu Chun and others!
As soon as this incident came out, there was an immediate buzz in Kyoto. The people usually had great respect for the Fuguo Mansion, and especially when talking about the personalities of Old Lady Gu and Qu Lingao, they were full of praise!
But now that something like this has happened, although people don’t quite believe it, they still have doubts in their hearts!
Although it was only a short drive from the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Yun Qianmeng heard a lot of discussions. When the carriage was about to arrive at the Prime Minister's Mansion, Yun Qianmeng asked Mu Chun to tell the coachman to drive to Tianfulou!
"Miss, are you going to buy cakes for the old lady?" Mu Chun was puzzled, but looking at the time outside, she was afraid that even if she rushed to Tianfulou, the mung bean cakes would have been sold out!
But Yun Qianmeng did not speak in reply. Instead, she slightly lifted the curtain of the car and looked at the bustling street outside. At this time, in the Ministry of Justice prison, Qu Changqing was lying in a dark, damp cell full of mold and blood. His hands and feet were handcuffed with iron chains. However, perhaps Su Yuan abused his power for personal gain and actually asked the jailer to put an iron ring weighing more than ten pounds around Qu Changqing's neck!
Qu Changqing was attacked from the back at the border and was seriously injured. He could not sit for long. Since he was escorted back, he has been lying down all day. Now in such an environment, Su Yuan would definitely not let a doctor see him!
Not only that, Su Yuante ordered people to put countless leeches on the straw where Qu Changqing was lying. In just one day, Qu Changqing, who had not eaten or drunk anything, had become pale. However, he had always been tough and did not even make a sound. He just opened his eyes and looked at the moldy roof above his head!
The sound of a lock being locked rang out in the prison, which was as silent as the palace of Hades. Several footsteps reached Qu Changqing's ears, but he maintained the same posture as before, staring at the ceiling, as if the visitor had nothing to do with him!
"Mr. Qu, long time no see. How are you?" Su Yuan stood in front of Qu Changqing with a sinister smile on his face. Seeing the handsome and elegant young man become so embarrassed, Su Yuan felt relieved. However, Qu Changqing had nothing to say to Su Yuan. Or perhaps, because of the matter between his second aunt and Yun Qianmeng, the Qu family and the Su family were like enemies meeting and were extremely jealous of each other. Qu Changqing ignored Su Yuan at this time just to conserve his physical strength and wait until the three courts held a trial. He must not waste his energy in vain just to show off his verbal skills for a while, lest he could not lose to Su Yuan at the important moment!
Facing Qu Changqing's silence, Su Yuan didn't care much and just spoke. "Young Master Qu is such a tough guy! But, I heard that the Emperor has ordered the house arrest of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, and the old lady fainted on the spot! Oh, by the way, Young Master, you probably don't know yet, but a month and a half ago, Lord Qu was stabbed and is now in critical condition! The Empress Dowager originally wanted to rush to the Yangxin Palace to plead for the young master, but the Emperor had the Empress Dowager placed under house arrest in Fengxiang Palace! Tsk, young master, you've ruined your entire family! Tell me, you don't want to be a good young master of the Marquisate, but you insist on being a traitor. How can you have a good ending? Besides, the Emperor relies on the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion and respects the Empress Dowager. By doing this, aren't you severing the relationship between the Emperor and the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, and forcing your own family into a desperate situation?"
Su Yuan spoke slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on Qu Changqing's expression!
Although Qu Changqing's heart was in turmoil because of Su Yuan's words just now, his face remained expressionless as before!
Seeing Su Yuan appreciating his expression with such interest, Qu Changqing's anger instantly disappeared. He never listened to or believed the words of his enemies. Instead, he closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Su Yuan's disgusting face again!
Su Yuan was furious when he saw that his words did not have the desired effect. He raised his foot and stepped hard on Qu Changqing's chest!
Qu Changqing only felt a stream of liquid spurting out from under him. He thought that the leech that had sucked his blood was stepped on to death by Su Yuan's kick. It can be seen how hard Su Yuan's kick was. However, the torture had no effect on Qu Changqing. A sneer slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth, which calmed Su Yuan's angry mind!
"Don't worry, sir. I, Su Yuan, am not a villain who would take advantage of others in distress! Moreover, if people see that you are covered with scars during the trial by the three courts, I will not be able to escape the charge of forcing you to confess under torture! During this period, I will definitely not torture you. Not only that, I will treat you well! Come on, carry the honorable Master Qu to the front of the hall!" After saying that, Su Yuan retracted his foot and left the filthy cell with his confidants!
After Su Yuan's kick, Qu Changqing felt as if his chest was burning with fire, and a bloody taste gradually rose in his mouth, but he forced himself to suppress it!
The anklets and bracelets on his body probably weighed more than 30 kilograms in total. Due to excessive blood loss, Qu Changqing could not exert any strength in his whole body and could only let the two jailers carry him!
As soon as he stood up, a foul smell filled the entire cell. The two jailers looked down and saw that the straw was covered with leeches, and those leeches were fat and big, which was very disgusting. Even the two jailers who often tortured people could not bear it and turned their heads away. They could not help but respect this young master of the Fuguo Mansion who had been pampered since childhood, and they could not help but relax their strength to hold him!
"Young master, I'm sorry, let's go!" Seeing that Qu Changqing's face was as pale as paper, a jailer whispered, and he and his companions helped Qu Changqing out of the cell!
"Haha, I'm sorry to have kept you two waiting for a long time. I have already brought Qu Changqing here!" At this time, Lord Qin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Lord Zheng, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, were already sitting in the hall. Since the trial was held in the Ministry of Justice today, the two men gave up the middle seat to Su Yuan!
Seeing Su Yuan coming, the two stood up slightly, and then sat down again!
Lord Shu was an old man in his seventies, with white hair and beard, but his eyes were clear and a sense of righteousness floated in them for a long time. When he saw Su Yuan coming, he did not say a word to greet him, but just stood up politely, and then sat down to wait for Qu Changqing's arrival!
Looking at the Dali Temple Minister Zheng, he had a square face and a straight nose, and looked loyal, but there was a hint of shrewdness and cunning in his eyes. When he saw Su Yuan, he nodded slightly at him, and their eyes met in mid-air, and then turned away!
"Slap!" Su Yuan slammed the table and shouted, "Bring the prisoner Qu Changqing up here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two jailers came up carrying Qu Changqing!
When Lord Tai saw Qu Changqing's pale face and blood-soaked appearance, he immediately frowned. His upright eyes immediately turned to Su Yuan and questioned, "You can't use torture before the trial. Lord Su, as the Minister of Justice, don't you even understand this little bit of criminal law?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuan immediately clarified, "Master Qin has misunderstood me! This Young Master Qu was already injured when he was escorted back to the capital! I simply had him imprisoned, but I absolutely did not torture him. If you don't believe me, you can ask the coroner to examine Qu Changqing's injuries!"
Su Yuan's face was serious and his words were righteous, which made people feel that Lord Tai had wronged him!
Seeing that the three were about to start a quarrel before the trial, Lord Zheng immediately acted as a peacemaker and said with a smile, "Don't worry, my Lords! I also heard that Qu Changqing was seriously injured at the border. If Lord Su really used torture, I'm afraid Qu Changqing would have collapsed long ago! Lord Zou is only doing this for the sake of fairness, so that the three of us won't find a false case at the trial, which would betray the emperor's trust! Besides, although Qu Changqing looks unwell, he is dressed neatly. He certainly doesn't look like someone who has been tortured!"
As soon as Lord Zheng said this, Lord Tai and Su Yuan's expressions immediately eased a little. However, Qu Changqing looked at Su Yuan's artificial expression and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth!
"Qu Changqing, do you know your crime?" At this time, Su Yuan pointed his spearhead at Qu Changqing and asked sternly!
Qu Changqing raised his head and saw that the hall of the Ministry of Justice was dimly lit, and the foul air from the prison cell seemed to fill the hall. However, the executioner Su Yuan was sitting there with peace of mind. His murderous aura blended with the atmosphere in the hall, making him look more and more like a butcher!
Qu Changqing put away his sneer and said in a cold but firm voice, "If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, a ruthless look flashed in Su Yuan's eyes, and he immediately continued, "Qu Changqing, the evidence is irrefutable. Do you still want to evade me? The Emperor sent the three of us here today to get you to confess your guilt and give you a chance to reform! But you refuse to repent. A traitor like you, the Emperor doesn't need to bother with this. The guillotine at the market awaits you!"
Su Yuan's rhetoric of coercion, bribery, and fabricated charges rekindled Lord Qin's discontent. Lord Zheng followed suit. "Qu Changqing, since you say 'it's easy to find a pretext to accuse someone,' we did find letters and tokens from the Northern Qi royal family hidden in the lining of your inner garment! Do you have any explanation for this?"
Qu Changqing glanced at Lord Zheng and saw that he spoke in an orderly manner, but like Su Yuan, he was accusing him of a crime. He then turned his gaze to Lord Zou on the other side and said word by word, "How can I explain something I didn't do? Are you going to convict me based on letters and tokens? Letters and tokens can be fabricated, and the charges can be arbitrarily leveled, but I didn't do it. Even if I die, I will never admit to this false accusation!"
Lord Shu saw that every word Qu Changqing spoke was true, and remembering Su Yuan's relationship with the Prime Minister's Mansion, he understood his words and actions and began to speak. "Since that's the case, Lord Su, please present the evidence!"
Seeing that the Left Censor-in-Chief was so shrewd and was not moved by his or the Supreme Court Minister's words, Su Yuan's eyes instantly shot towards Qu Changqing, but he saw that he was only staring at Lord Tai when he spoke. He was furious, and the murderous look in his eyes became even stronger, but his face was solemn and he ordered, "Come here, present the evidence!"
When Yu Xin heard Su Yuan's order, he went down immediately. In a short while, he brought up two pieces of evidence and placed them in front of the three people!
"My lords, please look! This is the evidence of Qu Changqing's secret dealings with Northern Qi! I have carefully read this letter over a dozen times. Every word in it expresses dissatisfaction with our emperor and flatters the emperor of Northern Qi. It even mentions our cities, with some important cities listed above, which is truly suspicious! And this jade waist badge engraved with the word 'Qi' was probably given by Northern Qi to facilitate Qu Changqing's entry into the Northern Qi Imperial Palace!"
When Su Yuan saw that Lord Zou and Lord Zheng had stood up and walked to their desks to check the evidence, he immediately opened the door.
In addition to explaining, he even raised the waist badge so that everyone present could clearly see the words and graphics engraved on it!
After the other two carefully read the contents of the letter and the badge, their expressions changed!
Even if the letter could be forged, the waist badge was unique to Northern Qi, and the carving craftsmanship on it was also unique to Northern Qi. Other countries could never imitate it, and only people above the royal family of Northern Qi were qualified to wear this waist badge. But it was found on Qu Changqing. Even if others wanted to help Qu Changqing, the evidence was overwhelming, and they would be powerless!
Qu Changqing also saw the emerald green waist badge at this time. Although he was shocked as to why such a valuable thing was found on him, his expression was still as frank as ever!
"It seems that Mr. Qu refuses to plead guilty and intends to remain silent!" Su Yuan also intended to let Qu Changqing see the badge, so he deliberately raised the badge high, wanting to see Qu Changqing's panic-stricken expression so as to take the opportunity to convict him!
But he didn't expect Qu Changqing to be so calm, with his expression unchanged. Su Yuan felt that if this continued, the situation would be reversed, so he immediately shouted, "Come here, torture!"
At this moment, all the evidence pointed to Qu Changqing, which was extremely unfavorable to him, but he refused to speak. At this time, Su Yuan tortured him again, and the other two had no objection!
Several jailers brought out the torture instruments that had been prepared long ago, including a square iron bed and a large bucket of boiling hot water. One of the jailers walked up to Qu Changqing and began to roughly tear off his clothes!
Lord Tai had long heard of the Ministry of Justice's punishments. Seeing Su Yuan using such brutal torture as the "combing" method on Qu Changqing, he immediately cried out, "Wait! Lord Su is being too cruel! Even when facing a prisoner, this shouldn't be done! Are you trying to force the truth out of Qu Changqing, or are you trying to humiliate him to death? If Qu Changqing is proven innocent in the future, how will Lord Su explain this to the Emperor?"
Not to mention that the punishment of combing and washing makes the prisoner suffer from excruciating pain and wish he were dead, just looking at the fact that the prisoner's clothes must be taken off before the execution, leaving him completely naked, this extremely humiliating punishment is definitely the most shameful for these scholars!
Qu Changqing, who had remained calm just now, became angry after seeing his shirt being taken off, and looked at Su Yuan with infinite hatred!
"Master Tai, you are wrong! Qu Changqing is a stubborn man. If he is not severely punished, he will not tell the truth at all! Besides, the emperor is still waiting for our report after the trial. We don't have so much time to waste with him!" Su Yuan said to Master Zou with a fake smile, and then shouted at the jailer who had stopped, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and punish him!"
Seeing their boss had spoken, the jailers no longer dared to slack off and immediately started to get busy with their tasks. The hall became increasingly hot due to the bucket of hot water and everyone was sweating profusely. Su Yuan still felt that the hot water was not hot enough, so he asked someone to set up a rack and put the iron bucket on it to heat it up!
When Lord Zou saw that Su Yuan was determined to do what he wanted and saw that Qu Changqing had already had his shirt taken off, he felt a trace of pity in his heart!
Just as Master Zou was thinking about speaking again, a jailer ran in from the doorway, immediately knelt in front of the three men, and whispered, "Master, Prime Minister Chu is here!"
"What is he doing here?" Su Yuan frowned when he saw his good thing was interrupted, and his eyes were full of bloodthirsty murderous intent!
"Go and invite Prime Minister Chu in!" At this time, Lord Qin spoke before Su Yuan could refuse. The officer beside him immediately ran out and invited Chu Feiyang, who was already at the gate, in!
"It's such a hot day, but Lord Su doesn't seem to mind the heat at all. He even set up a boiler in the lobby. I wonder what Lord Su is planning to do!"
As Chu Feiyang walked in, his angry voice clearly fell into everyone's ears!
The three people seated at the top immediately stood up to greet Chu Feiyang, bowing respectfully and saying, "Your subordinates greet Prime Minister Chu!"
Chu Feiyang glanced at the embarrassed Qu Changqing. Seeing that the wound on his back had festered and expanded, his eyes were cold. He looked at Su Yuan with a hint of smile. "Master Su is in charge of the Ministry of Justice! He is not afraid of the heat and personally tortures the prisoners!"
Su Yuan was already unhappy to see Chu Feiyang coming, but Chu Feiyang was not only the Left Prime Minister of Western Chu, but also held military power in the hands of the King of Chu. Even if he attached himself to the King of Chen, he knew that he could not fight against the enemy with an egg. So he replied with fear and trepidation, "Your Excellency, thank you for your praise! I am just doing my duty as a minister to share the worries of the emperor!"
"But in my opinion, Lord Su is
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com