Chapter 289: Madness Relapses
The eldest princess was shocked and angry. She stood in front of Lu Jing, but now she seemed petrified, looking at the jade pendant.
"Master Zhuang, please take a look. This is the jade pendant worn by the masked man who assassinated the Crown Prince and His Majesty that day. I took it from him after I was kidnapped by him. This jade pendant has a tiger on one side and the word 'Jing' on the other. If I remember correctly, Lu Jing's zodiac sign is the tiger."
Su Qianqian handed the jade pendant to Lord Zhuang, and Lord Zhuang's expression became more serious after taking a closer look.
"Lu Jing, this matter is of great importance. The evidence of buying an official position is irrefutable and you cannot deny it. Even if you are insane, it cannot erase your guilt. I don't need to tell you what the crime of assassinating the emperor and the prince is. Only after investigation can we know whether you are innocent."
"Master Zhuang, just because this little official casually took out a jade pendant, are you going to frame my son for regicide? The emperor is Lu Jing's uncle and loves him very much. How could he do such a treasonous thing?"
Once the truth was revealed, it was like a river bursting its banks. One thing after another, the princess was already exhausted from dealing with it. She tried her best to cover up one thing but still let something slip there.
"Your Highness, it is impossible to convict Lu Jing just because of this jade pendant. Lord Zhuang, Lu Jing just admitted that he had tried to assassinate me three times, the most recent of which was at the Weiming Mountain near the Qin family's tomb. These people and the assassins who tried to assassinate me the first time are outside now. Please interrogate them, sir."
Lu Jing stared at Su Qianqian in disbelief, wishing he could pierce a hole in her face.
Lord Zhuang ordered the bailiffs to arrest Wu Wencai, Feng Zhigao, Shi Shu, Fu Ming and others, and sat down in court to try the case of Lu Jing's assassination of the prince and the emperor. This was a case that the emperor had always wanted to investigate thoroughly but had no clue about. This also included the case of Su Qian who was chased and killed for startling his horse in a busy city, which alarmed the court.
The assassins who had been held captive by Qin Hanzhang were brought in, as well as three others who were captured on the hill by Jiang Fan's men. These men held hollow wooden balls filled with pepper in their mouths to prevent themselves from biting off their tongues.
"Can they talk?" Lord Zhuang asked Su Qianqian.
"Of course they can speak. If they don't want to speak, I can speak for them." Su Qianqian looked at them one by one and said loudly.
"This is ridiculous!"
At this time, the Princess and Duke Xu had already sat down at the side of the hall and did not go behind the screen. Madam Qin and several old ladies sat opposite them, staring at them eagerly.
"You just brought a few people to frame my son, Su Qian. I will never let this matter go unpunished. I will report it to His Majesty and clear my son's name."
The eldest princess' voice was a little hoarse, and her words lacked strength.
Su Qianqian ignored him and listened quietly to Lord Zhuang's trial.
Those people originally looked like they were letting themselves be dealt with, but when they heard Su Qianqian's words, they suddenly trembled all over, with expressions of pain and struggle on their faces.
[Although Da Hong Pao sometimes seems not very smart, he still has his own way of doing things. These three people didn't last even a single day under his command, so they agreed to cooperate. As long as I say this, they will confess honestly. 】
Su Qianqian looked at the expressions of those people with satisfaction and secretly praised Jiang Baipin.
The Qin family members looked at each other: Who is Da Hong Pao?
[Dahongpao is not very smart?] He just underestimated you. After all, you are too weak...】
The system complained quietly.
Lord Zhuang now had a clue in his mind, so he began to interrogate those people. After hesitating again and again, they finally admitted that they were assassins who were ordered to assassinate Su Qian, and they explained the time and place of the three times.
"Even if these people are real assassins, what does it have to do with me? Have they ever said that I was their mastermind?" Lu Jing was sure that these assassins didn't recognize him, so he sneered.
"It's a coincidence, Lu Jing. When you were crazy, you happened to describe these three assassinations clearly. This can't be called a coincidence. You'd better tell the truth. I will never be perfunctory about this matter."
Lord Zhuang looked more serious than ever before.
He knew that what Lu Jing said was true. Su Qian used some truth talisman to make Lu Jing confess the secret in his heart. Although he was not allowed to talk about supernatural powers, what had happened to Su Qian now had already broken his previous firm belief.
"I never said anything..."
Lu Jing looked at Lord Zhuang in surprise, and suddenly remembered that he seemed to be asleep for a while just now. He said a lot of words in his dream, revealing all the things hidden in his heart.
He finally understood why the princess said he was crazy, and why everyone looked at him in that way. If he told those things...
Lu Jing's forehead gradually broke out into cold sweat. His expression froze for a moment before he raised his head and looked at the princess sadly: "Mother, is my son's old illness really recurring?"
The princess was stunned for a moment, then nodded with difficulty: "That's right, but there's no need to hide this matter. We still need to treat him as soon as possible..."
"Mother..." Lu Jing shouted, and suddenly without any warning, he fell backwards, making a heavy thud as he hit the ground.
Su Qianqian felt the ground shook.
"Sanlang!" The eldest princess was horrified and ran to see Lu Jing. The three jurors all stood up and looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
"Duke, take Sanlang back home. Anyone who dares to stop him will be regarded as assassinating me!" The princess stood up after a moment and coldly instructed Duke Xu. She glanced at everyone in the hall and walked out of the court as if no one was around.
Lord Zhuang stood up from his seat, and the Qin family members also stood up and followed him.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess!" Lord Zhuang raised his voice, and seeing that the Princess had no intention of stopping, he strode forward and blocked her way.
"Zhuang Shizhao!" the eldest princess shouted angrily, and the guards around her immediately protected her.
"Your Highness, if I let Lu Jing go today, I will be betraying the emperor's grace and will not be ashamed to be a minister. If I don't let him go, I will offend Your Highness. I have no life in this world. My life is insignificant, but I cannot betray the emperor's grace for decades!"
Zhuang Shizhao took off the black veil on his head, held it up with one hand, and faced the princess sternly: "If Your Highness wants to take Lu Jing out of this door today, you have to step over Zhuang Shizhao's body."
Mrs. Qin, with her three daughters-in-law and two grandchildren, stood beside Mr. Zhuang:
"Your Highness, the Princess, the Qin family dare not deceive the emperor, and dare not knowingly disobey and still take care of themselves. Even if we are convicted for offending the Princess today, our Qin family will not retreat a single step."
"You...you guys..." The eldest princess didn't know whether she was angry or nervous, and she couldn't utter a word. She raised her hand and pointed at Lord Zhuang and the Qin family, her whole body trembling.
"Your Highness, please stop being so confused. Sanlang has done something wrong and should be punished by the law. How can you indulge him again and again?"
Duke Xu then spoke to dissuade them, his voice full of sadness.
"Xu Qianru! Stop pretending. If it weren't for you..."
"Princess, it's all my fault. I knew he was acting in secret, but I didn't pay attention, which led to a big mistake. I am willing to take the punishment for Sanlang!"
Duke Xu couldn't help but burst into tears.
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