Chapter 557 Cutting Off the Supply Line! (Second Update)
Minister Xing had absolute trust in Xiao Liulang. Firstly, Xiao Liulang was just a weak scholar, and he would never do such a thing as killing a vicious criminal to cover it up. Secondly, Xiao Liulang had always given the impression of being uncontested, honest and upright.
Anyone can forge documents, but Xiao Liulang won't!
Minister Xing was not worried about Xiao Liulang forging documents; on the contrary, he was worried that Xiao Liulang would feel guilty watching a living person die in front of him and that it would leave him with some kind of shadow on solving the case.
Minister Xing had no recollection whatsoever that Xiao Heng had ever worked as a coroner. He had dissected corpses before, so why would he be afraid of a dead living person?
The main reason was that Xiao Heng looked quite devastated: "...If I had given him a slightly stronger dose, he wouldn't have recovered his strength so quickly and committed suicide out of guilt. I could have gotten even more information out of him."
Yes, that person only mentioned a royal princess, but didn't specify which princess.
This is where Xiao Heng's cleverness lies.
Sometimes it is precisely this little regret and imperfection that makes things seem more logical.
Minister Xing patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "You've done very well. Others might not have been able to get any clues out of you."
"I also tried to reason with him and appeal to his emotions..." Xiao Heng said, a hint of hesitation flashing across his face.
Minister Xing said to the two yamen runners, "You two go in and clean up first. Liu Lang, come with me."
"yes."
Xiao Heng followed Minister Xing to his duty room.
"Do you have something to say?" Minister Xing asked.
Xiao Heng said, "Bai Kun didn't commit suicide out of fear of punishment; he bit his tongue and committed suicide because he was afraid to reveal the mastermind behind it all."
Minister Xing gave the document that had just been placed on the table a strange look: "Then this confession..."
Xiao Heng nodded: "The confession is real. I... used acupuncture on him, but that's all he dared to say. He was very secretive about that person's name and refused to reveal it no matter what."
That makes more sense. Minister Xing was wondering earlier, why would an assassin so easily commit suicide out of fear of punishment? If he was afraid of committing crimes, why would he become an assassin?
Minister Xing pondered for a moment and said, "It seems that person is quite capable, that's why even an assassin wouldn't dare to utter her name. But who could it be?"
She calls the current emperor her brother, which means she is the current emperor's sister.
The late emperor had many children, including seven princesses, but only four of them were younger than the emperor: Princess Ning'an, Princess Xinyang, Princess Deqing, and Princess Huaiqing.
Princess Deqing passed away two years ago.
Princess Huaiqing's birth mother was the late emperor's cousin, who was granted the title of Consort Ling.
Consort Ling was favored in her early years, but after giving birth to Princess Huaiqing, who was mentally challenged, both mother and daughter lost favor.
So, is this young master of Xianleju Princess Huaiqing, Princess Xinyang, or... Princess Ning'an?!
"I'm going to the palace. Also, Bai Kun committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"yes."
Severe torture is easily associated with forced confessions. In order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for Xiao Heng, Minister Xing decided to deal with Bai Kun under the pretext of committing suicide out of fear of punishment.
As for whether he can convince others, that is up to Minister Xing's ability.
Minister Xing reminded him, "His Majesty may summon you. Just remember that you did not use torture. You persuaded him with reason and emotion, and you talked to him from the bottom of your heart until he confessed."
"yes."
Xiao Heng said, "My lord, there's something else I forgot to mention."
Minister Xing asked, "What is it?"
Xiao Heng said solemnly, "Hua Xiyao is in cahoots with them. She is also an important witness. I think she should know something."
...
Xiao Heng also wrote a document detailing the events that occurred before returning to the Ministry of Justice.
In the document, he stated that Mo Qianxue was still alive and approached Gu Jiao as a patient. However, he omitted the fact that the two knew each other and only said that Gu Jiao did not know that the other party was the most beautiful courtesan of Xianleju and thought that she was just an ordinary injured person.
With a compassionate heart, she found her on the road and took her back to her clinic to treat her.
During this time, an assassin from Xianleju attempted to assassinate Mo Qianxue once, actually to confuse the situation and allow Mo Qianxue to take the opportunity to kill Gu Jiao.
Unaware of the situation, Gu Jiao risked her life to protect Mo Qianxue, and was injured in the process.
Mo Qianxue was moved by Gu Jiao's actions and gave up her plan to assassinate Gu Jiao.
Three days ago, Hua Xiyao from Xianleju approached Mo Qianxue, urging her to lure Gu Jiao out of the capital.
Mo Qianxue understood that Gu Jiao's journey was fraught with danger, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Mo Qianxue then devised a plan. She drugged Gu Jiao and Hua Xiyao, and had Hua Xiyao impersonate Gu Jiao, using the pretext of sending "Gu Jiao" out of the capital to escape.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng had their eyes on her long ago, and then chased after her out of the city, which led to the killing of the expert and the capture of Hua Xiyao and the other two and their return to the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Xing knew Gu Jiao; she was the renowned doctor at the clinic and Xiao Heng's wife.
It seems that the mastermind behind this has a grudge against Gu Jiao, or has a conflict of interest with her.
Princess Huaiqing can basically be ruled out. Putting aside the fact that she is mentally challenged, she doesn't live in the capital at all, has never met Gu Jiao, and has no vested interests with Gu Jiao.
That leaves only Princess Xinyang and Princess Ning'an, who have returned to the capital in the past year.
"My lord, there is something I am not sure if I should say."
"Sixth Brother, you speak."
"The prince consort... was killed by the Gu siblings working together."
Minister Xing stood there in the duty room, stunned for a long time…
This matter is of great importance and involves the royal family, so Minister Xing must report to His Majesty first, no matter what.
Xiao Heng knew that Minister Xing would go to see His Majesty.
Having learned from the example of Consort Jing, Xiao Heng would no longer leave the decision-making power to His Majesty alone.
He wanted the whole world to know, and all the officials to be aware of it!
If His Majesty wants to deal with the mastermind, great; if not... then let the whole world force him to do it!
When Minister Xing's carriage was halfway there, it encountered Chief Minister Yuan's carriage.
His official rank was lower than that of Chief Minister Yuan, so he naturally had to get out of his carriage to pay his respects to Chief Minister Yuan. Little did he know that the old Grand Secretary was also in Chief Minister Yuan's carriage.
In terms of official rank, Minister Xing was one and a half ranks higher than the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, but everyone knew that the old Chancellor was a high-ranking official of two dynasties, a confidant of His Majesty, and someone whose seniority could rival that of Grand Secretary Yuan.
The two sides greeted each other politely.
Grand Secretary Yuan glanced at him and asked, "Minister Xing, you look so rushed, has something happened?"
"Ah, this..." Minister Xing was not at liberty to reveal the details of the case, only saying, "It is the case of Xianleju. We have made some progress, and I intend to report it to His Majesty."
The old chief priest asked with a puzzled look, "What leads require His Majesty's attention? Is this case related to His Majesty?"
Minister Xing smiled awkwardly: "This... I am not in a position to say more. I hope that Chief Minister Yuan and Chancellor Huo will forgive me."
"It's alright." Chief Minister Yuan nodded understandingly and gestured for him to return to his carriage.
Minister Xing bowed and said, "Then, this humble official will take his leave."
Just as he turned around, the old chief minister suddenly cried out and fell out of Yuan's carriage.
His fall was so skillful that he perfectly avoided the coachman catching his hand. Minister Xing's expression changed, and he quickly reached out to help him up.
He was managed to be supported, but his sleeve was torn, and two documents fell to the ground.
"Let me pick it up! Let me pick it up!" Before he could even steady himself, the old chief priest bent down and picked up a confession and the case file written by Xiao Heng. "Oh dear."
He glanced at the document in his hand, seemingly casually, "How...how could this be..."
Minister Xing hurriedly took the document, folded it, and stuffed it back into his other sleeve, saying in a flustered manner, "Farewell!"
The old chief minister returned to Chief Minister Yuan's carriage.
Chief Minister Yuan looked at him with a serious expression.
The old chief priest looked as if he had been struck by lightning, and said blankly, "Old Yuan, guess what I saw?"
Premier Yuan frowned. "Are we that close? Why are you calling me Old Yuan?"
Although both Grand Secretary Yuan and the old Imperial Chancellor had served the court for many years, their relationship was not actually close.
The only connection they have is that they are both friends with Feng Lao.
However, Feng Lao and the old priest were closer.
The reason why the old chief minister was in Yuan's carriage today was because Yuan encountered the old chief minister's carriage, which had broken down halfway, and the old chief minister shamelessly asked him if he could give him a ride.
Could Chief Minister Yuan refuse?
Even if they're unwilling, they have to get on the bus.
Then this scene unfolded.
The old chief priest then said with a look of fear, "I saw the confession from the Ministry of Justice. It says that the young master of Xianleju is actually a princess of the Zhao Kingdom's royal family, His Majesty's own sister."
"What you just held up wasn't a confession," Chief Minister Yuan immediately saw through.
The old chief priest: "..."
Chief Minister Yuan: "Furthermore, you deliberately fell down and deliberately tore Lord Xing's sleeve. Do you think I'm blind?"
The old chief priest: "..."
The tea master has finally met his match.
The old chief priest said, "Anyway, I saw it. I also told you that when news about this case comes out in the capital, I will say that it came from your Yuan family."
The highest level of tea ceremony mastery is when the teacup is overturned and the tea is spilled, then there is no more pretense.
Premier Yuan's lips twitched: "Can't you have any shame at all?"
The old chief priest thought about it very seriously: "No."
Yuan Shikai: "..."
(End of this chapter)
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