Chapter 203
"Father, Lin and Xie are extremely cunning. I didn't expect that they had a backup plan. The little emperor is obviously on their side and actually locked up Xie Chen in the lieutenant's mansion. This time my plan was not thorough enough. Please punish me, father." Ding Wenqi said.
Ding Wenbo gloated, "Really? Didn't my second brother say that this matter would be foolproof if it was handed over to you? How come the Xie family's case is going to be retried now?"
"Brother, what do you mean by that?" Ding Wenbo retorted, "At least this time we've forced Xie Chen to admit his past and put him in jail. It's better than going through all the trouble and getting nothing."
The two brothers were at loggerheads with each other, neither refusing to give in. The other people in the room could only listen in silence, and no one dared to say a word.
Ding Yanhe sat at the head of the table, tapping his fingers unconsciously on the table, and suddenly shouted: "Enough, one by one, you are not good enough to accomplish anything, but you are more likely to cause trouble."
The Ding brothers immediately fell silent and just stared at each other.
"Grand Marshal, Lin Shuge was obviously well prepared. This time he actually took the opportunity to reverse the case for the Xie family. In your opinion, we should..." Yi Chi said.
"I underestimated him. I thought it was just a small fight. I didn't expect that since he dared to collude with the little emperor and have an affair with him, don't blame me for being rude." Ding Yanhe said with deep eyes and expressionless face.
"Father, do you want it?" Ding Wenbo gestured and said happily, "Father, the officers of the Weiwei are all my subordinates. Let me handle this matter. I will definitely help you solve this problem."
"Brother, have you forgotten that I am in charge of the palace guards? If you have nothing to do, why don't you go find out where Wang Heng has gone? He seems to have disappeared without a trace during this period of time."
"Ding Wenqi, do you still have any respect for elders and brotherhood? Do you still respect me as your brother?" Ding Wenbo was furious.
Ding Wenqi was relaxed, "What are you talking about, brother? When have I ever disrespected you as my brother?"
"What are you arguing about? All you do all day is argue about who is right and who is right. Wenqi, go check where Wang Heng went. I have a feeling that this matter has something to do with Lin Shuge and others." Ding Yanhe was upset when he heard the two men quarreling over a few words, and he scolded the two brothers.
"Grand Sima, although Wang Heng is a villain, he is closely related to the events of the past. Grand Sima allowed him to be promoted because of his meritorious service in reporting Xie Suwen. Now it seems that keeping this person around is a hidden danger. We should get rid of him as soon as possible to avoid any more trouble." Yi Chi said after thinking for a moment.
The reason why he was kept back then was just to set an example for the other officials in the court. If one chooses the right bird to live in the right tree, he will surely receive some benefits. Otherwise, who would like such a traitor?
"Wenqi, you should investigate Wang Heng's whereabouts. The courtier is missing, but the imperial guards didn't react at all. Take people to ask Deng Ji what's going on. Keep an eye on the Lin residence and take action immediately if there is any movement. As for Wenbo, His Majesty asked you to reflect on your mistakes. You should stay in the residence for the time being..."
"Father, what do you mean? I am the eldest son, how can I let him be a bastard..." Ding Wenbo said in surprise, his face full of anger and rage, pointing at Ding Wenqi.
"How dare you." Ding Yanhe was so angry that he slammed the table. Ding Wenbo was startled and knelt down immediately.
"Rebellious son, who gave you the courage to say such words in front of me? Go back to your own courtyard and reflect on your mistakes. Come, send the eldest son back."
The servant reached out to help Ding Wenbo, but was pushed away by Ding Wenbo. "I'll go by myself." Before leaving, he glanced at Ding Wenqi with resentment in his eyes.
"Alas, children are all debts." Ding Yanhe sighed, and glanced at Ding Wenqi's wanton and provocative smile. None of them are worry-free.
Yi Chi remained silent, but his smile became more and more mysterious.
"Get away from here." Ding Wenbo kicked the door open and shouted angrily.
"Sir, what happened?" someone asked in a gentle voice.
"A Ming, my father is so partial. He only scolded me in front of so many people. Now that I have lost my position as the Weiwei, he doesn't assign me any work. Seeing that the second son is becoming more and more arrogant, he even assigned him to do things like looking for Wang Heng. I really..."
"Don't be anxious, sir. The second young master is too arrogant and he will definitely suffer. We just have to wait." Amin advised in a low voice.
"Luckily, I have you. This mansion is full of people flattering the powerful and bullying the weak. During this period of time, the servants in this mansion have flocked to the second courtyard to show their courtesy. What do they think of me? I am the eldest son of this mansion, and my mother is the mistress, not that..." Ding Wenbo was filled with resentment and wished he could bite his enemy to death.
A Ming persuaded him a few more times, and only went back after Ding Wenbo calmed down.
…
Ruan Mansion.
Lin Shuge sat in the hall and waited quietly. After a while, Ruan Qingyun walked out. "I knew you were coming. If His Majesty hadn't stopped me in the court yesterday, you would have betrayed Wang Heng directly."
"The situation was critical at the time. I watched Zhongxuan being taken away. I was so anxious that... In short, it was my fault." Lin Shuge said with a guilty look on his face.
"Alright, I'm not looking for your fault. Here, this is Wang Heng's confession," Ruan Qingyun handed a few pages of paper to Lin Shuge, "But I thought that since this man could easily betray his former master, he must be a coward, but I didn't expect him to be so stubborn. He refused to speak even after several sets of torture instruments were used. If it weren't for the torture you provided, I wouldn't be able to get these things out of him."
Lin Shuge hummed, not paying attention to what he said. He just glanced over the testimony. Wang Heng gave a clear account of how he colluded with the Ding family, how he imitated Xie Suwen's handwriting and framed Xie Suwen.
He put away the confession with satisfaction, but when he looked up, he saw Ruan Qingyun staring at him with an inexplicable expression.
"Please ask whatever you want to ask, sir." Lin Shuge said.
"You seem to be kind and compassionate in your daily life. How did you know about such a punishment?" Ruan Qingyun asked. He had been an official for many years and had seen many methods of extracting confessions. Even when he saw the torture scene with his own eyes, he was shocked by the ones provided by Lin Shuge. He didn't know where the usually polite and gentle Lin Shuge got these cruel methods.
"I read in a book that for a man like Wang Heng, letting him live is already a great favor. If he wasn't useful in the old case of the Xie family, I would have ground him to dust long ago." Lin Shuge said.
Ruan Qingyun stared at him blankly, not saying anything for a long while. Lin Shuge sighed and said with a smile, "Are you scared, sir?"
Ruan Qingyun shook his head, "I just understand one thing, it turns out that you can't judge a person by his appearance."
Lin Shuge thought he was praising him, and said, "Please send someone to keep an eye on those people who testified for the Ding family last time. Maybe they can be useful."
"You mean..."
Lin Shuge nodded and said, "Those people were obviously bribed, either by coercion or bribery. Since they could be bribed and used by the Ding family, how can we know that they can't be bribed by others?"
"Huai Ting, you... Although Erlang is trapped in prison, you also have to take care of yourself. I see that you are like a taut string these days. Don't let Erlang get out. If your body collapses, I won't be able to explain to Erlang." Seeing that his thundering methods were different from the past, Ruan Qingyun was afraid that he would force himself. Ruan Qingyun regarded himself as his elder, so he couldn't help nagging a few words.
"Don't worry, sir. Zhongxuan is still waiting for me. How could I joke with my own body?" Lin Shuge stood up and saluted him. "Thank you for your concern, sir. I still have things to do. I won't bother you anymore."
"It's getting late, why don't you stay at my house for one night?" Ruan Qingyun advised.
In order to avoid being noticed, Lin Shuge chose this moment to meet him. "It's okay. Lao Zhang and the others are already waiting for me at Changwu Street. By the way, sir, the Ding family must have discovered that Wang Heng is missing. Please be careful and don't let Wang Heng fall into their hands or die."
"I know, don't worry." Ruan Qingyun sent him out and watched his thin figure disappear into the twilight. He sighed in his heart: "Erlang has a deep affection for him. If something happens to Erlang, how will Lin Huaiting cope with it?"
It was dark at night, and Lin Shuge was walking and thinking. He touched his chest. With this testimony, at least it could be proved that the Xie family was wronged back then. In addition, there were letters between Wang Heng and the Ding family, which could also make the Ding family's conspiracy public. In this way, Zhongxuan can at least get out of the Lieutenant's Mansion first.
The two of them had been together for a long time in the past, but they always knew that they were safe. But this time was different. There were dangers everywhere, and he didn't know how many people were watching them in secret, especially Zhongxuan. He sighed and quickened his pace.
The night wind gradually rose, Lin Shuge gathered his cloak and walked towards Changwu Street.
There was a "crackling" sound, like the sound of wind blowing off branches and leaves, which seemed to be faintly visible under the cover of the wind.
Lin Shuge looked around and saw darkness all around. His heart tightened and his intuition told him that it was not advisable to stay here for long. He threw the handkerchief on the ground and took the opportunity to look back suddenly while picking it up.
With a few "swish" sounds, the sound of sharp arrows breaking through the air rang in Lin Shuge's ears. He rolled sideways and looked at the arrows that shot into the door of the shop next to him, making a "buzzing" sound. His heart was beating like thunder. It was just as Zhong Xuan said, the Ding family had soldiers at their disposal, and they were going to get rid of him simply and brutally.
His eyes sank slightly as he looked around carefully. This place was still some distance away from Changwu Street. If Lao Zhang and the others couldn't wait for him to arrive, they would definitely come to rescue him. He just needed to delay the assassin for a while.
He touched his cuffs. The musket was too eye-catching, but the small crossbow could at least be used.
Arrows flew, like meteors under the moonlight. Lin Shuge held the small crossbow and fired two arrows in the direction of the arrows. Sparks splashed everywhere. One arrow collided halfway, and the other hit something unknown. Only the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground could be heard.
Suddenly, there was a burst of hurried footsteps. There should be a lot of people coming, so Lin Shuge quickly dodged backwards.
"Who are you? Do you know what the consequences are of assassinating an imperial official in the street?" Lin Shuge asked as he backed away.
"Doctor Lin, someone wants to kill you, hurry up and get on the road early." After he said that, the knife flashed and he raised the knife to chop at Lin Shuge. Lin Shuge took out a small crossbow and shot an arrow, avoiding the attack.
Lin Shuge didn't have time to dodge the cold knife and was almost hit on the back. He didn't have time to care about it and looked at the assassin behind him. He was attacked from both sides.
"Go." The assassin shouted and attacked Lin Shuge from both sides. In a flash, a long sword fell to the ground and someone landed next to Lin Shuge.
"Sir, I'm sorry, I'm late." said the man.
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