Chapter 108: Rumors (1)
Inside Luoyang City,
in the streets and alleys, in the wine houses and tea houses,
from the highest officials to the lowest peddlers and hawkers, everyone is spreading a piece of gossip.
"Have you heard about it?" A man in a tea house asked the people around him in a low voice. "What did you
hear? Is there anything new happening recently?" The people around him were burning with gossip.
"It is said that the Prince of Jin had an affair with a concubine of the Emperor named Wu." The man looked around mysteriously and continued.
"Come on! I thought it was something new. We already knew about this. Why do you need to tell me and make it so mysterious?" The people around him sighed.
The affair between Jin Wang Li Zhi and the emperor's talented woman had already spread throughout Luoyang, and it was no longer a new thing.
But its popularity remained high, becoming a topic of conversation after dinner. If it were in later times, it would have been on the headlines of entertainment gossip.
People even speculated whether the emperor's lonely talented woman hooked up with the young prince late at night, or whether the young prince forcibly possessed the emperor's talented woman.
The city defense troops patrolled the streets back and forth. Once they found someone who spread the scandal, regardless of whether he was the mastermind or not, they would be arrested and thrown into jail without saying a word.
This caused people who were discussing the matter on the street to gather together and whisper, and from time to time they would look around to see if there was a patrol team of the city defense troops passing by.
The city defense army also turned a blind eye to this matter. As long as they didn't hear it, they could say whatever they wanted. They couldn't arrest everyone.
Besides, they were still discussing this matter privately. It was enough for everyone to know it. There was no need to take it so seriously.
This matter spread very quickly. Basically, it spread to the streets and alleys overnight and became known to everyone, just like bamboo shoots after rain.
The advantage of rumors is that they spread quickly, but it is impossible to find out where their source came from and what caused it.
The initiator of our incident, the Crown Prince Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty, was racking his brains in the East Palace, thinking about how to write a letter to Li Er that was touching and warm.
"A-choo..."
Li Chengqian rubbed his nose and muttered: Who is scolding me behind my back?
After thinking for a long time, Li Chengqian finally figured out how to write it, and immediately wrote a touching letter.
"Wang Quan, send this letter to His Majesty in Luoyang!" Li Chengqian said, this is his first step to Luoyang.
If he goes to Luoyang rashly without any preparation, it is easy to arouse suspicion, so this first step is indispensable.
"Yes!" Wang Quan took the order and left.
Inside the Luoyang Palace.
His Majesty Li II was furious. Since the rumor spread, it has not only not been suppressed, but has become more and more intense, which makes him very angry.
Looking at the furious His Majesty Li II, Chu Suiliang and others were so scared that they dared not breathe.
His Majesty Li II is now furious. Even Chu Suiliang, who is usually timid, shrinks his neck like a quail and dares not say anything.
Not to mention other people, who dares to touch the mold of His Majesty Li II now?
Prince Jin Li Zhi, who is standing aside, is silently wiping his tears. He has been worried these days, fearing that his affair with Sister Wu will really be exposed.
Fortunately, although they have had close contact, they have not crossed the moral bottom line and gone beyond the line.
Otherwise, it would not be as simple as wiping tears now.
Li Zhi cursed the ancestors of the person who spread the rumor in his heart.
"Luoyang Prefecture Seal, can you find out where this rumor came from, who did it, and why?" His Majesty Li II looked at a third-rank official and said.
This official was a slightly fat man in his forties, with a white and rosy face and two goatees on his mouth. He was Luoyang's actual highest official, Luoyang Prefecture Yin Gao Huien.
In the three capitals of Chang'an, Luoyang, and Taiyuan, the highest official in name was the governor who was a prince, but in reality, it was the prefect who really managed it. The governor was just a title given to the prince .
Gao Huien walked out of the crowd trembling with fear. He had not been able to eat or sleep well these days because of this matter.
But there is still no clue about this matter, and the case is progressing slowly. Not to mention finding out who spread it, he still doesn't understand how it was spread.
"I am incompetent and still have no clue. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!" said Gao Huien, the prefect of Luoyang.
"Humph!" Li Er snorted coldly, expressing his dissatisfaction with Gao Huien's ability to handle things: "You can't even handle such a small matter. How can you be the prefect of Luoyang?"
"Come on, drag him out and behead him."
The guards outside the palace heard Li Er's voice and immediately rushed in, stepped forward and pulled Gao Huien.
"Ah!!" Gao Huien was scared to death. After breaking free from the guards, he knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
He didn't want to die!
"Your Majesty!" Chu Suiliang could not bear it any longer and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Your Majesty! What does this have to do with Prefect Gao? Rumors spread quickly and basically spread throughout Luoyang overnight. Prefect Gao has tried his best these past few days, but still hasn't found the source of the rumor."
"But even so, Prefect Gao cannot be blamed. Even if he did a bad job, he doesn't deserve to die."
Changsun Wuji stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! Now is not about investigating Prefect Gao's dereliction of duty, but about how to stop the rumors from spreading and find out the whole story as soon as possible."
"Even if Your Majesty kills Prefect Gao, what will happen? Can you solve the problem by killing an official appointed by the court just to vent your anger?"
"Father, Prefect Gao has worked hard for this matter. Even if he has no credit, he has worked hard. Please consider Prefect Gao's dedication and don't be angry with him because of your son's matter." Jin Wang Li Zhi said.
After hearing this, Li Er calmed down. He was too anxious. After all, this matter was related to his beloved son Li Zhi. How could he not get angry?
"Wu Ji and Sui Liang are right. I was too anxious about this matter! Considering that the King of Jin pleaded for you, I will keep this in mind for the time being. Prefect Gao must solve the case as soon as possible." Li Er said, waving his hand to let the guards leave.
The guards bowed and left.
"I thank your majesty for not killing me! I will do my best to find out the murderer behind the scenes and clear the name of Prince Jin." Gao Fuyin, who had saved his life, said, and was grateful to Li Zhi in his heart.
"What do you think about this matter? What countermeasures do you have?" Li Er looked at the ministers and said.
Everyone was silent for a while, not knowing how it came about and how to solve it.
Li Er waited for a long time, but still did not see anyone stand up to help him solve the problem, and he became even more angry.
On weekdays, everyone is more capable than the other, but now why is there no one who can stand up to solve this matter.
"Alright! You all leave!" Li Er said.
"I will take my leave!" Everyone bowed and left.