Chapter 353 Execution
"Let the Right Guard General Ashina She'er cooperate with the Dali Temple to arrest Princess Gaoyang and others and bring them to justice for trial." Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" Wang Quan responded and asked someone to pass on the emperor's order.
"Summon Wu Wang Li Ke, Special Advancement, Minister of Rites, Jiangxia Wang Li Daozon, Shizhong Yuwenjie, and Zuo Xiaowei General Zhishisili to come to see me." Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" Wang Quan accepted the order and immediately asked someone to call Li Daozon and others.
Soon they came to the Liangyi Hall to meet the emperor. After a round of greetings, Li Daozon spoke first.
"Your Majesty! You are so anxious to summon us here. I wonder what's the important matter?"
When Li Daozon and others came, they always felt that something big was going to happen. When he saw Li Chengqian's dark and panic-inducing face, he was more certain that something big had happened.
"Gaoyang and Fang Yiai, Baling and Chai Lingwu, and Xue Wanche's family secretly contacted Jing Wang Shu Li Yuanjing, intending to rebel." Li Chengqian said.
"What?" Everyone was shocked. Treason is not a joke. Li Daozong said in disbelief: "How dare they do such a rebellious thing? Treason is a capital crime. How can they be worthy of the late emperor by doing this?"
"I didn't want to believe it at first. They are the most beloved daughters and sisters of the late emperor, but facts speak louder than words. There is already conclusive evidence that they are treasonous."
"I have sent people to Jingzhou to convey the imperial edict to let Li Yuanjing come to the capital, and also asked the right guard general Ashina She'er to work with the Dali Temple to arrest Gaoyang and the others." Li Chengqian said.
"Then why did your majesty summon me and others to come here?" asked the attendant Yuwen Jie.
Since there is already conclusive evidence, the emperor can just issue an order to arrest them all and convict them. There is no need to call them to notify them.
They also didn't think that the emperor would be so bored that he would specially call them here just to say something, there must be other purposes.
"I want you to try the case of Fang Yiai's treason, with the Minister Yuwen Jie as the chief judge, and the emperor's uncle, Li Ke and others as accomplices. I want to know if there are any other parties besides them." Li Chengqian said.
Li Chengqian did this to test whether Yuwen Jie and others were wronged or really participated in the treason.
Let these suspects come to the trial. If they did not participate in the treason, they will be handled impartially without any cover-up.
If they participated in the treason, they will definitely try every means to whitewash themselves during the trial, and even do some things that they shouldn't do to cover up the traces of their involvement.
Maybe, they killed people to silence them in order to prevent Fang Yiai and others from giving them away.
If they were to investigate, as long as they were involved in the treason, they would definitely think that this was a great opportunity and they would definitely take action.
"Isn't there a Dali Temple to investigate cases? Why does your majesty want us to investigate this case?" asked Zhishi Sili.
"You are all the people I trust the most. Moreover, the case of treason is of great importance. It is difficult for the Dali Temple alone to investigate this case, so I asked you to investigate this case." Li Chengqian explained.
"I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust! I will definitely find out how many other people are involved in this matter." Li Ke said.
After receiving Li Chengqian's order, they immediately went to the Dali Temple to interrogate Fang Yiai and others.
In addition to letting Li Ke and others to review the case, Li Chengqian also asked Di Renjie and others to investigate secretly, and asked the Jinyiwei to monitor their every move.
As soon as Jing Wang Li Yuanjing arrived in Chang'an, he was arrested and imprisoned in the other courtyard. Li Yuanjing knew that his affair was exposed, so he committed suicide in the other courtyard.
Under repeated interrogation, Chai Lingwu and others confessed their fact of treason and gave out some officials involved.
Only Fang Yiai refused to speak, and had to see Li Chengqian to tell the truth, otherwise he would not confess at all. Anyway, Fang Yiai
was like this, so what was there to fear about torture? As long as he was not allowed to see the emperor, he would bite his tongue and not let go, like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water.
Li Ke had no choice but to ask the emperor whether he wanted to meet Fang Yiai.
Li Chengqian agreed. He wanted to see what Fang Yiai could do.
"The guilty minister Fang Yiai pays homage to your majesty!" Fang Yiai staggered and saluted Li Chengqian.
Looking at Fang Yiai, who was covered in wounds, it seemed that he had suffered a lot during this period. Li Chengqian had no sympathy for such a person.
"I heard from Wu Wangke that you, Fang Yiai, have something important to report to me. I wonder what important information it is?" Li Chengqian said.
"Your Majesty, can you dismiss the attendants and let me report alone?" Fang Yiai looked around and said to Li Chengqian. "
No need! There is nothing I cannot let others know. Wang Quan is my confidant and close attendant. Just tell me." Li Chengqian said.
He would not let everyone leave and just listen to what Fang Yiai said. Although Fang Yiai was uneducated, she was a martial artist.
If there were only two of them left in the hall, if Fang Yiai suddenly attacked, he would be in danger because
of his inconvenient legs and feet. He would not be stupid enough to put himself in danger. It would be safer to keep some people around him.
"I want to sue Prince Wu Li Ke. It was Prince Wu Li Ke who secretly brokered our conspiracy with Prince Jing. If it weren't for Prince Wu Li Ke, I would never dare to do such a treasonous thing." Fang Yiai said.
Fang Yaoai reported to Li Chengqian that Li Ke was one of them. She said it in a very concise manner, just like the truth. Anyone who heard it would think that Li Ke was really involved.
Li Chengqian did not believe all of Fang Yaoai's words. It was hard to say whether Wu Wang Li Ke was really involved in the rebellion. In any case
, Fang Yaoai said this for the purpose of saving her life, hoping to be pardoned by exposing Li Ke.
In fact, Zhangsun Wuji had already questioned Fang Yaoai before, and asked Fang Yaoai to frame Li Ke.
What the two said specifically was only known to them.
No matter what they said, Zhangsun Wuji finally promised Fang Yaoai that as long as Li Ke was dragged into the water, he could pardon Fang Yaoai.
"I have understood this matter! Whether Wu Wangke really participated in the rebellion as you said, I will naturally find out."
"As for you, I don't want to say anything more. Come, take Fang Yiai back to the prison." Li Chengqian said.
"Your Majesty! What I said is true, absolutely not a bit false! Please judge it, Your Majesty!" Fang Yiai said with a bow.
The guards came in and took Fang Yiai back to the prison and continued to detain him.
As for whether Li Ke and others were also involved in the rebellion, Li Chengqian soon found out the answer.
Jinyiwei and Di Renjie sent news that Li Ke and others did not participate in Fang Yiai's rebellion, and the case was handled impartially. In
February of the fourth year of Yonghui, the final verdict was finally made on Fang Yiai's rebellion case.
Fang Yiai, Xue Wanche, Chai Lingwu and others were beheaded, and Princess Gaoyang and Princess Baling committed suicide.