Chapter 32
Yun He pressed the mechanism inside the carriage and flew sideways before the golden railing could be lowered. The golden railing was impenetrable, and the assassins outside had no way of getting in unless they could drive the entire carriage away.
Outside, swords flashed and clashed, while Ling Huanchen sat in the car, motionless as a mountain. Although he hadn't experienced such a turmoil in his previous life, he could imagine who had done it. After all, he had been quite active recently, blocking someone's path.
"Ah He, leave him alive."
"yes!"
There were many assassins and both sides were evenly matched, so it was difficult to determine the winner. However, with Yunhe's presence, the balance completely tipped to one side.
Ling Huanchen occasionally heard a few screams, but remained calm. He believed that Yunhe could handle it.
The clash of swords gradually died down. Ling Huanchen pressed the trigger again, raising the curtain, revealing the bodies of the assassins scattered. Yun He held his longsword, dripping with blood, against the neck of the remaining survivor.
Seeing Ling Huanchen trying to get out of the car, Yun He hurriedly said, "Master, it's not clean outside. You'd better not come out."
Ling Huanchen paused, then gave up. "Come here, take the assassin to the Ministry of Justice's prison and interrogate him strictly."
"yes!"
Ling Huanchen thought for a moment and said, "We must suppress the news of today's incident. No word of it can leak out, not even to the king."
If Yu Xi knew about this, he would probably be worried too. His king cared deeply about the entire city, and he couldn't add to their worries.
It was already late when Ling Huanchen returned to Yuluan Palace. Xiao Qi quietly approached him and whispered to him that the king was in the bedroom.
This time, the lights were on in the room. Ling Huanchen came back exhausted and didn't even have the chance to change his clothes before Yu Xi hugged him tightly.
"Are you tired? You don't look very good." Yu Xi turned her head to look at him, then suddenly lowered her head to smell him, "There seems to be a smell."
Ling Huanchen quickly broke away, putting some distance between them. "Maybe I've been outside all day and smell a bit dusty. I wonder if the king is disgusted by that?"
"How is that possible?" Yu Xi pulled him back and said, "Come and see."
Then, he pulled Ling Huanchen to the table, where a portrait was spread out. The person in the painting was wearing a blue dress, holding a scroll and sitting under a peach tree. He raised his eyes slightly, as if looking outside the painting.
Ling Huanchen was surprised and asked, "Did the king draw this himself?"
Yu Xi raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Huan Chen was late, so after I finished my government affairs, I had time to paint this. It took me three days to finish it. How about hanging it next to the one you painted for me?"
This was also the first time Ling Huanchen saw his own portrait, and he happily replied, "Okay."
Now that the real person has returned, Yu Xi put down the portrait and no longer had to look at it and miss the person.
Ling Huanchen looked back and suddenly asked, "Did I keep the king waiting again?"
Seeing him ask so seriously, Yu Xi no longer felt resentful. "What Huanchen did was for Youcheng, which was also for me. Don't worry, just go ahead and do it. But take care of yourself. I don't ask for anything else, I just want Huanchen to be happy."
Having just experienced an assassination attempt, Ling Huanchen was quite moved. He shook Yu Xi's hand and took the initiative to hug her, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will take good care of myself and will not make Your Majesty worry."
If he comes back, he will definitely stay with Yu Xi and everyone he cares about forever, and no one can stop him.
Although it was common for the two of them to hug each other and touch hands on a daily basis, it was usually Yu Xi who took the initiative and Ling Huanchen who followed. It was rare for Ling Huanchen to take the initiative and throw himself into Yu Xi's arms.
Yu Xi hugged him tighter and laughed, "What happened today? Has our Huanchen suddenly become fond of acting like a spoiled child?"
For the first time ever, Ling Huanchen wasn't bothered by his teasing. Instead, he stood up and asked him, "Does Your Majesty like it?"
Yu Xi was slightly stunned when she heard this. "I like him. No matter what Huanchen looks like, I like him."
Ling Huanchen looked at the portrait on the table and said, "If Your Majesty has time, why not draw another portrait of two people?"
"You dare to order me around." Yu Xi looked at him with a smile.
Ling Huanchen also looked back, "Then will the king paint or not?"
"Painting, of course it's painting. From now on, I will be Huanchen's only painter, and Huanchen will be my only painter. Is that okay?"
Ling Huanchen took his sleeve and led him to the bed, "It's all up to the king."
The red curtain fell, and the two slept in each other's arms, an ambiguous and tender scene. Meanwhile, in a deserted house near the palace, haunted stories were reported every night, and the rumors grew more and more intense. Before long, they reached the ears of all the court officials, and even Yu Xi knew about it.
There were all kinds of rumors. Someone mentioned the disappearance of everyone in the Qi Mansion, and the news spread like wildfire, and the news that the Qi Mansion was wiped out and the wronged ghosts were seeking revenge spread like wildfire, causing panic among the people. They could not let it continue to develop.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Ling Huanchen specially prepared a memorial and submitted it directly during the court session. His request made the civil and military officials in the court look at each other with different expressions and think about it in various ways.
"Three days ago, I ran into an elderly woman on the street who claimed to be a servant of the Qi Mansion. The Qi Mansion massacre left a legacy of injustice, and the true murderer is still living a life of extramarital affairs. I have reviewed the case files and found many suspicious points. I now request a retrial of this case to bring justice to the deceased."
His words were resounding. Ling Huanchen didn't even glance at the other ministers' expressions, his full attention focused on Yu Xi. After he submitted his memorial, Du Heng followed suit.
"Your Majesty, I feel that Minister Ling's actions are inappropriate."
The person who stepped forward was a junior official from the Ministry of Personnel. He took a few steps forward, stood beside Ling Huanchen, and bowed, saying, "Since this case has been closed, it shouldn't be reopened. The previous Minister of Justice has served for many years and handled countless cases. He is very experienced and it is impossible for such a huge mistake to be made. Lord Ling is treating the Ministry of Justice's affairs as a joke by proposing a retrial based on the rumors and subjective judgment of an old woman."
Ling Huanchen raised the corners of his lips slightly. Very good. If someone doesn't dare to stand up and get into trouble, he will push others out.
"That's wrong. I'm sure you've all heard about the haunting of the royal city. If we let this rumor continue, it will only shake the hearts of the people of Youcheng. The court must step forward and take action to appease the people."
When the minister heard him mention the people's sentiment, he couldn't find a solution for a moment, so he changed the subject and said, "Youcheng has a rule since ancient times. The retrial of a case in the Ministry of Justice must be submitted by two or more ministers, that is, at least three ministers must submit a joint petition before it can be approved. Lord Ling, are you not familiar with the rules of Youcheng?"
Ling Huanchen exchanged glances with Yu Xi and smiled, "Of course I have studied it."
"Excuse me, where is this third courtier?"
Just as he finished speaking, someone suddenly stepped forward and presented the memorial to the shocked eyes of the ministers.
"This old minister also requests a retrial of the Qifu case."
Yu Xi looked at the Prime Minister and said, "Since the Left Prime Minister also believes that this case should be retried, I will approve it today. Lord Ling, you will preside over the trial, and Du Heng will assist you."
Ling Huanchen bowed, "I obey your command."
Once the order for retrial is issued, all matters related to the case are put on the agenda and no longer need to be handled in secret.
The old woman and the child were temporarily housed in Du Heng's mansion, where they were guarded by guards. They were also escorted by guards during interrogation to prevent others from taking advantage of the opportunity to kill and silence them.
Since the incident had happened a year ago, the physical evidence had long been destroyed, and the witnesses were nowhere to be found. However, the old woman knew the whereabouts of one of the witnesses, which she accidentally discovered while begging.
Sun Sheng had been so arrogant when he committed the crime in Qi Mansion that he and his men were masked, so the old woman remembered their faces. Not long ago, the old woman was begging on the street when she stopped by a teahouse in a corner of Wangcheng. Upon seeing her, the waiter started cursing and shooing her away. The old woman recognized the scar above his left eye and concluded he was one of Sun Sheng's former men. After that, the old woman lingered at the teahouse entrance for several days, confirming that he was working there under an assumed name.
When Ling Huanchen sent people to arrest this man, the waiter the old woman mentioned was no longer there. According to the teahouse owner, the waiter suddenly said a few days ago that his mother was seriously ill in his hometown and he wanted to go home to visit her, and then he disappeared without a trace.
After failing to catch the person, Du Heng and the old woman both looked worried, but Ling Huanchen remained the same.
He knew where the guy was hiding, and sending people to the teahouse to arrest him was just a formality.
He teased the little girl in the old woman's arms, causing her to giggle. "That's okay. Let's go to the temple and burn some incense. I hope they'll bless us to catch the bad guys soon."
Du Heng's expression was complex, and he hesitated for a long time before saying, "Your Excellency is wise." After these days, he had seen Ling Huanchen's foresight and his ability to speak up for the people, and his opinion of him had changed significantly. But who would have thought that Ling Huanchen would suddenly burn incense and pray to Buddha to catch the criminal? This method was truly unheard of and unprecedented.
Ling Huanchen didn't care what others thought, nor did he choose an auspicious day. He acted immediately and ordered his subordinates to set off for a small temple on the edge of the royal city.
Because the temple is located in a remote area and has a small facade, it is not very popular and few people come. The monks in the temple were stunned to see so many people coming for the first time and were stunned for a long time before they remembered to inform the abbot.
Du Heng followed behind and couldn't help but whisper to Yun He, "Does your Excellency believe in Buddhism?"
Yun He said expressionlessly, "I've never heard of it."
Now Du Heng was even more puzzled, and couldn't figure out what Ling Huanchen was up to.
Ling Huanchen seemed to be really pious when burning incense, but after he finished, he suddenly stopped a monk who was trying to slip away.
"I want to look around and listen to some Buddhist scriptures. Why don't you lead the way?"
The monk lowered his head even lower and said, "I am still a novice and cannot take on this important task. Let the abbot preach the sutras for you."
Ling Huanchen suddenly said, "Raise your head."
The monk still lowered his head and said, "I am ugly and I am afraid of scaring you. Please forgive me."
Ling Huanchen looked at him coldly, "Someone, help him lift his head up."
Before Du Heng and others could figure out why Ling Huanchen suddenly became mad at a monk, Yun He had already taken action.
In the blink of an eye, the monk was pinned to the ground and forced to raise his head, shocking Du Heng and the others.
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