All the court officials were silent, and the air in the court was almost frozen.
Emperor Kang said, "Mo Wenqing, I want you to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible."
"I obey your order." Mo Wenqing knelt down.
After the morning court session, Xiao Ci was invited to Jingzhao Prefecture.
His face was gloomy. "This prince has never done anything. Someone must have deliberately plotted to frame this prince!"
"Second Prince, you said you didn't do this. Then I have a question for you. Do you know Wang He?"
Wang He? !
Xiao Ci's expression changed instantly.
Wang He was indeed the person he placed next to Kangdi, keeping an eye on his every move.
Although he couldn't be a close attendant like Eunuch Fu, at least he could keep an eye on what Emperor Kang did every day.
How did Mo Wenqing find out about such a secret matter?
He had previously suspected that someone was deliberately plotting against him and wanted to kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of Xiao Xian. Now he was even more certain of his guess.
However, Xiao Rui probably doesn't have such deep intentions.
As for Xiao Xian, he probably wouldn't bother to resort to self-torture to win back Qu Li.
The only one left is Xiao Qi, who is only obsessed with music, so it is even more impossible.
Who is it?
Who wants to harm him?
Mo Wenqing's gaze was fixed on his face, and he could see all the emotions surging in his eyes.
"Second Prince, I don't want you to be involved in this matter either! But now, Wang He's feet are stained with the black and red mud of the Imperial Garden. This mud is exactly the same as the mud prints left at the scene of the incident."
Almost every time Mo Wenqing said another word, Xiao Ci's expression changed a little.
"Wang He is a palace official. It's not surprising that he would be stained with the black and red mud of the imperial garden. But you rely on this fact to conclude that it was Wang He who broke the wooden beam, and then suspect me, the prince. Lord Mo, is this how you will judge this case?"
Mo Wenqing wasn't frightened by him. He spoke slowly and clearly, "Second Prince, there are four people named Wang He in the palace. How do you know that the Wang He I'm talking about is the one you've stationed in the palace to monitor the emperor's every move?"
Xiao Ci's breathing suddenly became disordered.
He really didn't expect that Mo Wenqing would set a trap for him, and he jumped into it unknowingly.
"Sir Mo, even if Wang He is really my man, he has definitely never been to the academy."
Xiao Ci said this with certainty.
The wooden beam was so thick that even if Wang and He, who had no internal strength, had made some preparations in advance, it would be impossible for them to break the beam successfully.
The reason why he sent Wang He to Kangdi was that he felt that Wang He had a low sense of presence and was taciturn, so he would generally not be noticed.
Who would have thought that he would be involved in the falling wooden beams of the academy this time.
Why did Wang He go to the Imperial Garden for no reason?
"Second Prince, as long as you acknowledge that Wang He is yours, that will be enough."
Before Xiao Ci could figure out what Mo Wenqing meant, Mo Wenqing had Wang He brought up.
Wang He was tortured and was wearing prison clothes. His hair was hanging down in a mess and he looked extremely miserable.
The moment he saw Xiao Ci, his eyes dodged and he finally lowered his head.
"Wang He, you better tell me clearly, who ordered you to harm me?" Xiao Ci was extremely excited and was about to kick him.
"Second Prince, this is the court of Jingzhao Prefecture, not your Second Prince's Mansion!" Mo Wenqing glanced over, and immediately someone came forward to grab him.
"Wang He, if you dare to talk nonsense, this prince..."
Before Xiao Ci could finish his harsh words, Mo Wenqing interrupted him again: "Second Prince, you are openly threatening the suspect in front of me! I won't think too much of it, but there's no guarantee that the Emperor won't think you're guilty."
As he spoke, he glanced at the guards standing below.
Xiao Ci followed his gaze and the color on his face instantly disappeared.
This person is Hong Qing, the most trusted attendant of Emperor Kang.
Emperor Kangdi actually sent him here?
Hong Qing had a square face and was serious. Meeting Xiao Ci's panicked gaze, his expression didn't change much. He simply said to Mo Wenqing in a calm voice, "Master Mo, continue."
Mo Wenqing nodded and asked Wang He, "Wang He, tell me everything you said to me before."
Wang He moved his lips and looked at Xiao Ci, whose eyes were bloodshot, through his messy hair.
"Master Mo, this servant..."
He glanced at Hong Qing again, his heart hardened, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
The entire Jingzhao Prefecture was filled with a strong smell of blood.
Mo Wenqing stood up suddenly and raised his voice: "Stop him quickly, he wants to bite his tongue to commit suicide!"
The guards of Jingzhao Prefecture had seen such scenes before, but this time they were inexplicably slow to react.
As for Hong Qing, he really carried out Emperor Kang's orders to the end. He just quietly watched how he tried the case and how he got to the bottom of the matter.
When Wang He was about to bite his tongue to commit suicide, he could have stopped him, but he did not move at all.
Xiao Ci's chest was burning with anger. He rushed forward, grabbed Wang He's chin, and tried to make him let go.
But the blood at the corner of Wang He's mouth turned from red to black, and his face was also blue and black after taking poison.
Wang He finally died with a grim look on his face.
Xiao Ci felt extremely weak.
Once a person dies, he can’t explain himself even if he has a mouth!
After staring at Wang He for a long time, he began to review the whole thing.
"Sir Mo, someone is deliberately framing this prince! This prince wants to see my father!"
Hong Qing folded his arms, his eyes calm as he said, "If the Second Prince has anything important to report to the Emperor, I can convey it on his behalf."
Xiao Ci's veins on his forehead were bulging with anger.
He pointed at Hong Qing's nose: "Is it you?"
"Second Prince, be careful with your words!" Hong Qing said sternly, "You make me think you're a bit furious!"
"you--"
Xiao Ciqi's jaw was clenched into a line, and if his gaze could become real, he could tear Hong Qing into pieces.
"How could he, a palace servant, casually run to the Imperial Garden, and then run to the attic of the academy and tamper with the wooden beams?" Xiao Ci tried hard to calm himself down.
Now that someone is deliberately trying to frame him, he must be more careful not to panic, lest he fall into someone else's trap.
Mo Wenqing looked at the stenographer beside him and signaled him to write down every word Xiao Ci said.
"Also, where did he get the poison? If he was truly determined to die, there would be no need for him to expose me! He could just die and put an end to it all, without having to endure the calamity of imprisonment and the torture of these punishments!"
Mo Wenqing was an honest official who worked hard to pursue the truth. After hearing this, he felt that it was not entirely unreasonable.
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