Before the ice and snow melted and the first month of the lunar calendar came, something unexpected happened. This happened in the harem.

In Concubine Wen's bedroom, a man dressed as a young eunuch attempted to assassinate the twelve-year-old Second Prince Chen An. Fortunately, he was caught by the guards and escaped unharmed.

Emperor Zhaowu was furious and ordered that the mastermind be found out within three days. He also wanted to dismiss Zhu Lanting, the commander of the imperial guards. However, after the ministers pleaded for mercy, he decided to investigate the case thoroughly before deciding on the punishment.

After interrogation, it turned out that the assassin was not a real eunuch. He had a high forehead, dark face and red cheeks, which was rare in the Central Plains. He looked like a person from the northwest. He confessed that he was ordered by Concubine Hui to assassinate the second prince. He was not familiar with the terrain of the harem, and it was Concubine Hui who led him to Concubine Wen's bedroom. Concubine Hui did visit Concubine Wen that day, but the assassin came just after she left.

This result was of great significance, as it involved the Crown Prince and Concubine Hui, and no one dared to speak out. The Minister of the Dali Temple had to report the content of the interrogation truthfully, but he also immediately went to discuss it with Yan Zilian.

The assassination attempt on the prince has caused a sensation in the city, and everyone is talking about it. Although the content of the interrogation is confidential, there is no wall that is impenetrable in the world. Soon, the news spread like wildfire, and almost everyone in the Hanlin Academy knew about it. When Yan Sikong learned the result of the interrogation from his former colleagues, Yan Zilian had already entered the palace to meet the emperor.

Yan Sikong was extremely anxious. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Concubine Hui could not possibly do such a thing. She was just an illiterate country girl with no background and a timid nature. Besides, her son was already the crown prince, so how could a queen assassinate a vassal king?

Like many people, Yan Sikong suspected that it was Concubine Wen who framed him. Concubine Wen's father was the Minister of War and had many contacts with the imperial guards. It seemed that it was not difficult for her to plant someone in the palace. However, this matter must have nothing to do with Zhu Lanting. Zhu Lanting was an upright person and would not shoot himself in the foot.

Yan Sikong was not suitable to stay in the Hanlin Academy for a long time, so he planned to visit Yan Zilian's residence in the evening. He thought that Chen Yu and his mother must be panicked at this time, and he really wanted to go to the East Palace to comfort him, but unfortunately he could do nothing, unless...

Yan Sikong thought of Concubine Xian, his future mother-in-law, who was also deeply respected and loved by Emperor Zhaowu. If Feng Ye could go to Concubine Xian and speak well of her in front of His Majesty, it would certainly be more helpful.

Thinking of Feng Ye, Yan Sikong's heart tightened. He had tried his best to avoid thinking about Feng Ye, but he still found it difficult to control himself. Moreover, he shamefully discovered that he was actually looking forward to having an excuse to find Feng Ye more than Concubine Hui.

He scolded himself harshly, saying that he was really stupid and confused. Not to mention that he and Feng Ye were in such a situation now, from Xie Zhongren's strange words at the banquet that day, it was clear that Emperor Zhaowu was jealous of Prince Jingyuan. He had hoped that Feng Ye would support him as the crown prince, but after Prince Jingyuan defeated Wala, he hoped that the Feng family would not be involved in the succession dispute, otherwise they would be more suspicious of the master.

That night, Yan Sikong went to visit Yan Zilian at his residence and asked about the assassination case. Yan Zilian sighed repeatedly, saying that the emperor was furious, Concubine Wen was crying again, and Xie Zhongren was fanning the flames. The emperor simply wouldn't listen to anything. He and several grand scholars made remonstrations at the same time, and only then did they get a few days' reprieve, allowing the Dali Temple to continue investigating the case.

Yan Sikong asked about the investigation again, and Yan Zilian was even more helpless, saying that the man insisted that it was Concubine Hui who ordered it, and he might be a assassin bought by Concubine Wen Guifei. Moreover, Xie Zhongren also asked the Censorate to intervene in the investigation. Yan Zilian did not dare to neglect it and asked the Ministry of Justice to intervene. It was incredible that such a simple case required the joint trial of the three judicial departments. This was because the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice were the cronies of Xie Zhongren and Yan Zilian respectively, and the Dali Temple was impartial. Xie Zhongren added weight to the scale, so how could Yan Zilian not follow up.

Yan Sikong frowned and said, "This thief asked the Censorate to intervene. His behavior is suspicious. Could it be that he is also involved in this matter and is afraid that we will falsify the confession in private?"

"I have the same suspicion. The Supreme Court Judge is impartial in enforcing the law. It is not easy to convince him to falsify his confession. Even if he can be convinced, it will be impossible now that Xie Zhongren has ordered the Censorate to intervene."

"If tampering with the confession doesn't work, what if we kill the assassin? There will be no evidence against him."

Yan Zilian nodded: "This is the worst possible strategy. If there is no better way, this is the only option. Let's see if the three judicial officials can make the assassin change his words after the trial."

After Yan Sikong returned home, he couldn't sleep all night. His heart was filled with anxiety and uneasiness, and he always felt that this matter would not end well.

The next day, Yan Sikong's premonition came true.

The censor of Xie Zhongren's faction, the Ministry of Rites, made a memorial in court, saying that a few years ago, when the Crown Prince went to the northern suburbs to offer sacrifices to the mausoleum and pray for the Empress Dowager, he was summoned to come in directly, faced north and held incense, performing the rites of an emperor. It was simply treasonous for him to be so disrespectful to his father and the monarch before he even ascended the throne.

This memorial caused an uproar in the court. Emperor Zhaowu was so angry that his beard was standing on end. He summoned the crown prince to confront the censor in court.

The crown prince refused to admit it, but the censor made a very pointed statement, saying that the guards around the crown prince would naturally protect him. However, rumors had already spread throughout the capital about the scene in the northern suburbs that day.

The censor had no evidence, yet dared to impeach the prince, and the others were helpless against him.

In the current dynasty, the so-called censors refer to the Supervisory Censors of the Censorate and the Six Departments. The Supervisory Censors include the thirteen Supervisory Censors in Beijing and the inspectors of various prefectures and provinces, who are responsible for supervising all officials inside and outside the court. The Six Departments Supervisory Censors supervise the six ministries. Most of them have very low ranks, but they have a unified privilege, which is that they can "report things based on hearsay", meaning that they can report things they hear from others without taking any responsibility, and they can report anything, not only the matters of their own department or prefecture, but also the affairs of the emperor's palace.

Most officials, including the emperor, were fed up with these greedy censors, but they could not go against the ancestral system. Besides, censors were like sharp swords that could be useful to everyone at some time.

In a rage, Emperor Zhaowu imprisoned both Concubine Hui and the crown prince, and said he would investigate the assassination case as well.

As the matter escalated to this point, everyone speculated that the emperor wanted to depose the crown prince. Many people also pointed the finger at the second prince, believing that he was closely involved in the matter. The court was in a state of panic.

When Yan Sikong heard the news that Concubine Hui and the Crown Prince were imprisoned, his legs became so weak that he almost could not stand. He held the door and stood for a long time before he strode quickly to Wenyuan Pavilion to find Yan Zilian.

When the teacher and the student met, both of them looked pale.

Yan Sikong asked anxiously, "Teacher, have the three judges found anything?"

Yan Zilian shook his head heavily, "As expected, Concubine Wen has colluded with Xie Zhongren, and the one who impeached the crown prince today was the Minister of Rites." He gritted his teeth and said, "A eunuch and a woman, they are in cahoots with each other and are plotting to usurp the throne!"

Yan Sikong clenched his fists: "This bastard..." He wished he could skin Xie Zhongren alive!

"Your Majesty has already imprisoned the Queen and the Crown Prince, but the ministers have repeatedly advised against it, so they are safe for the time being. However..." Yan Zilian covered his tired eyes, "Your Majesty does not like the Crown Prince, and even less like Concubine Hui, otherwise he would not have imprisoned them based on a few words from the censors. That's the Crown Prince of Da Sheng, how can this be tolerated!"

"There's no point in caring about decorum now." Yan Sikong said anxiously, "Just as the teacher said, His Majesty doesn't like them both, and has always wanted to appoint a second prince. Now that the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, she is no longer able to put pressure on His Majesty. I'm afraid His Majesty will take this opportunity to depose the Crown Prince!"

"This is exactly what we are most worried about." Yan Zilian opened his eyes, and every deep wrinkle on his face was filled with the look of an old man who was overthinking. "Deposing the eldest son and enthroning his beloved son is a perverse act. Your Majesty must not be careless."

"Your Majesty, is this your first day of confusion?" Yan Sikong gritted his teeth.

On normal days, Yan Zilian would have taught Yan Sikong to be careful with his words and actions, but at this moment, he was thinking the same thing in his heart, but Yan Sikong said it for him. He said solemnly, "I'm worried that the next step is for His Majesty to let the three judicial officials interrogate the Queen and the Crown Prince, which would be even more troublesome."

The three judicial departments will inevitably impose punishment during the trial. According to the laws of this dynasty, anyone who is imprisoned, regardless of whether they are guilty or not, will be whipped ten times before the trial. This is to show the power of the law and to scare away those who are not in compliance with the law. Most of the royal relatives will be exempted, but if Your Majesty personally issues an edict, who dares to neglect it? Although the mother and son have been neglected for many years, they have not suffered any physical pain, let alone such a humiliation.

Yan Sikong felt a chill in his heart and whispered, "Empress Hui is a coward by nature. If she is frightened during the interrogation or is seduced into saying something she shouldn't, the Crown Prince will be doomed."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Yan Zilian said, "I'll go find the Minister of Justice in a moment. The situation is so serious. If he doesn't unite with the enemy, he will allow the thieves to bully the future emperor of Da Sheng. If I explain the righteousness to him, maybe I can convince him."

"I hope so." Yan Sikong suddenly thought of something, "Teacher, how did the prince react to the court today?"

All officials of the dynasty above the fourth rank must attend the morning court. He heard that Feng Ye had recently returned to the capital. As the censors slandered the prince today, Feng Ye must have been present.

Yan Zilian said, "He also advised Your Majesty to think twice, believing that the prince was wronged." He stared at Yan Sikong, "Do you have any solution?"

"I have thought of a way, but..." Yan Sikong lowered his eyelids to hide the emotions in his eyes, his heart was already in turmoil, "Because of the marriage, the prince and I have become estranged, and it may not work if I go to ask him."

"Hey, I advised Your Majesty not to release the news before the marriage because I was worried about complaints from the noble families. I was preventing Xie Zhongren from interfering and urging Your Majesty to marry Wanyang to someone else. Who would have thought that the prince cared so much about family background." Yan Zilian looked at Yan Sikong, "What can you do? Do you want Prince Jingyuan to plead for them?"

"No." Yan Sikong said sternly, "If King Jingyuan asks for mercy, it will be like pouring fuel on the fire."

Yan Zilian immediately understood the key point: "Yes, the emperor is jealous of Prince Jingyuan. If he pleads for the prince again, he will definitely lose his position as crown prince. So what you mean is..."

"Let Princess Wanyang ask the Queen Mother for help."

Yan Zilian's eyes lit up, "What a good plan. Your Majesty dared to do this, he must have kept it a secret from the Queen Mother. The princess goes to pay respects to the Queen Mother every day. As long as this matter is told to the Queen Mother secretly, Concubine Xian will not be involved. Now I'm afraid only the Queen Mother can save Concubine Hui and the prince. Wait..." He worried again, "But the guards have records of the prince entering the palace, so this can't be hidden from the emperor."

"The prince does not need to enter the palace. He only needs to deliver a letter to the Concubine Xian. This matter requires the teacher to take action. Can the teacher persuade Commander Zhu to deliver the message for the prince? The palace is now heavily guarded, and Commander Zhu is serving his duty despite his crime. Only he can do it."

Yan Zilian smiled bitterly and said, "I'd rather risk my reputation than ask him to help me. Besides, Commander Zhu is the martial arts master assigned by the Queen Mother to the Crown Prince. I believe he wants to help the Crown Prince. So, are you sure you can ask the Crown Prince to help you?"

Yan Sikong looked embarrassed: "No."

Yan Zilian grabbed Yan Sikong's hand, his eyes as sharp as an eagle: "Sikong, you know the pros and cons of this matter, it can't be without, it must be there."

Yan Sikong slowly knelt down: "Student, I will do my best."

Close the wild...