Chapter 372 The Murderer
The words of the Imperial Guard were like a thunderclap exploding over the head of the Northern Qi Emperor.
At the beginning of the new year, the Northern Qi Emperor heard this news. His face suddenly darkened and he said sternly, "Come in and answer the question."
Eunuch Liu, who had been dozing off on the footstool, was startled awake. He quickly got up by holding onto the bedpost and took out the crown and clothes for the Emperor of Northern Qi to wear.
When the Northern Qi Emperor came out of the side hall, he saw the commander of the imperial guard standing tall in the center of the hall.
He walked towards the throne, suppressing his anger. "How could someone from the Lin family hang themselves if they were so afraid of death? Did you find out the details? What exactly happened?"
The commander of the Imperial Guards replied, "I have learned the situation from the jailer. Ever since the Lin family was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, they have been crying out for justice and want to see the Concubine Shu and the virtuous prince."
"Yesterday, I didn't think about seeing the Queen and the King. They ate all the food sent to them at noon and at night. I hope the jailer will be flexible and send them a plate of dumplings today, the first day of the new year."
"Mrs. Lin said that every year at the beginning of the year, the whole family would sit together and eat a plate of dumplings."
"The jailer didn't dare to agree to their request. Although Madam Lin was very disappointed, there was nothing else unusual."
"Until the jailer took over, the Lin family was acting normally and had already gone to bed. But when the jailer returned for inspection, he discovered that every member of the Lin family had hanged themselves."
When the Minister of Punishment heard the news, he rushed into the palace to report it. He met him at the palace gate and went to the Heavenly Prison with him to check it out.
When I think back to that scene now, I still feel shocked.
Thirty-eight members of the Lin family were imprisoned in four adjacent cells, with their names neatly hung on the cell doors.
They took off their outer robes and used them as hemp ropes to hang themselves.
The coroner examined the bodies and found that they all died of suffocation, ruling out murder.
The people from the Ministry of Justice did not find any other traces in the cell, and basically agreed with the conclusion of the coroner.
The commander of the Imperial Guard continued, "The coroner said it was suicide."
The Northern Qi Emperor was furious and said, "I don't believe the Lin family would commit suicide out of fear of punishment. You are all good-for-nothings who can't even find out how the Lin family died!"
The commander of the Royal Guards knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down."
"Investigate, continue investigating until you find the murderer." The Northern Qi Emperor said with a tense expression, "If you can't find the truth, you don't have to come to work."
The commander of the Imperial Guard said with a stern expression: "Your humble servant obeys your command."
After the commander of the imperial guards left, the Northern Qi emperor issued several orders in succession, ordering Eunuch Liu to invite the chief officials of the three judicial departments into the palace.
In addition, he also sent people to the National Temple to invite the imperial teacher back to the capital.
The Lin family died an untimely death, and even the coroner could not find any clues and concluded that they committed suicide.
If he didn't know the character of the Lin family clearly, he would have really believed that they committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
The Emperor of Northern Qi vaguely felt that the extermination of the Lin family was not a revenge by their enemies, but more like a warning and demonstration.
The more he thought about it, the more restless he became.
This force is too powerful, coming and going without a trace.
The heavily guarded prison was of no use to them.
People often feel particularly panicked about things that are beyond their understanding and control.
The same was true for the Emperor of Northern Qi. This panic was like an invisible knife hanging over his head, as if it would chop down on him at any time and anywhere.
He was restless and sent more people to investigate.
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At the same time, news of the Lin family being brutally exterminated in the Heavenly Prison spread, shocking the court and the public, and all officials fell into panic.
Especially those from the Xian Wang party, they all speculated that the Shu Fei and her son had offended someone, so that the Lin family was retaliated against.
When they thought of this possibility, they felt like their heads were hanging on their belts, afraid that they would be the next.
For a moment, everyone felt insecure.
When the virtuous prince heard the bad news, he was so frightened that his face turned pale and he went to find the concubine in panic.
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