first minister

Chapter 257 The Storm is Coming
Xing Shigu, the captain of the Jingzhao Mansion, turned his head to look at the servant of the Ministry of Punishment, his eyes seemed to say: Boss, you are the third grade, and I, a small official, listen to you.

The corner of the Minister's mouth twitched, and he looked at the head of the Black Ice Terrace, his eyes seemed to say: You are His Majesty's favorite minister, I can't grasp this case, I listen to you.

The Xuanhu, the head of the Black Ice Terrace, squinted his eyes slightly, but he really didn't shirk it, and said coldly: "We can't let His Royal Highness suffer such unknown injustice, trial!"

The order was issued, and the torture veterans who had prepared early were overjoyed. Thinking of this case, which might drag a prince into the water, these people rubbed their hands excitedly, looking at the arrogant Prince Sheren who was still there , Just like a man who has been holding back for a long time, standing under the brothel.

"Wait a minute, you tell them, after all, they are from the East Palace, so don't leave marks on them during the torture."

Hearing Xuanhu's words, the minister of punishment and Xing Shigu were taken aback.

There can't be a mark on this body, so how can you use torture? How can the other party be afraid?

Unexpectedly, the veteran torturers just nodded after listening to it, as if they didn't feel anything at all.

"Did you hear what I just said? I'll say it again, I'm working for His Highness. If you dare to obstruct it, you may not be able to take care of it if something goes wrong!"

"Hehe, Mr. Dong is so majestic!"

A veteran torturer laughed, walked up to Dong Sicheng who was tied to the wooden frame, and patted the wooden frame, "Do you know that a minister was tied to the wooden stake you are now tied to, You have tied up Lord Marquis and the Great General, but they are not as tyrannical as you!"

He looked at the domineering Prince Sheren, his expression still gentle, and pointed around, "Dong Sheren can see clearly, this is the Black Ice Terrace!"

Dong Sicheng subconsciously followed his fingers and looked around, looking at the dark and gloomy surroundings, smelling the strong smell of blood and rancidity in his nose, all kinds of rumors about the Black Ice Terrace that he had heard since childhood automatically flooded into his mind, fear and uneasiness began to spread in his mind. His heart was slowly rising, but he still pretended to be calm, "So what about the Black Ice Tower? Can the Black Ice Tower be able to arbitrarily arrest the imperial court officials?"

That person was amused, "Hey! Don't tell me, this is really what our Black Ice Terrace is doing!"

He pressed a switch and slowly lowered the special wooden stake, and Dong Sicheng lay flat as if tied to a bed.

The man smiled and said: "Since you are from the Eastern Palace, we still have to give His Royal Highness the dignity. Let's not play with those bloody things today, and play with something elegant."

As he spoke, he covered Dong Sicheng's face with a piece of soaked yellow paper, "Master Dong, enjoy yourself!"

The soaked yellow paper violently rose and fell on Dong Sicheng's mouth and nose, and then the movement became weaker and weaker, and Dong Sicheng's chest rose and fell less and less.

The man was watching the movement, stuck in time, and suddenly tore off the yellow paper, which made Dong Sicheng feel that the bloody and polluted air was so sweet and clear at the moment.

Just as he was about to breathe greedily, the man covered his face with the yellow paper again.

"This time, I won't reveal it to you so early. If you plan to cooperate honestly, compare your right hand with a thumb, and if you don't compare me, then treat it as a stubborn resistance. Well, you really know the times!"

Before he finished speaking, Dong Sicheng couldn't wait to give a thumbs up.

The speed was so fast that it seemed to be complaining, why didn't you say it earlier, and I would suffer this crime if you said it earlier!

The servant of the Ministry of Justice and the captain of the Jingzhao Mansion looked at the head of the black ice platform with a calm face, as if they were looking at the most terrifying demon under the nine springs.

Dong Sicheng surrendered, but the veteran torturer did not reach out his hand in a hurry, but waited until the feeling of suffocation and dying completely enveloped Dong Sicheng, then he took off the yellow paper, and immediately said in a deep voice: "Say! Go to the blacksmith today. What are you doing!"
-
In the small central courtyard, several absolute bosses in the court sat in the study, their expressions were a little dignified.

As the prime minister, Qin Xiang naturally presided over the rhythm of this small meeting, and said slowly: "The situation of the Ministry of Punishment and the Jingzhao Mansion has just been discussed, let's talk about it, what should we do this time?"

Unlike before, all parties wanted Xia Jingyun to stay in prison, but this time, the leaders of each faction have their own ideas.

An important minister of the central government spoke first, "I think it is unwise for a son of the Qin family to shake the foundation of the country because the Chujun is involved. We should close the case with someone else, and this case will be closed."

Immediately someone retorted: "Where is it so easy to find a suitable bystander, who really has conflicts of interest, how can he be a grassroots who can take his life at will?"

Then someone said, "The matter involves the East Palace, I think we should consult His Majesty before deciding whether to investigate or not."

"Your Majesty Xu's words are wrong!" Some people also refuted these words, "Your Majesty and the crown prince are father and son, so I leave this difficult problem to His Majesty. If His Majesty allows the investigation, the relationship between father and son will be damaged, and if he does not allow investigation, it will be ruined Rules and regulations, this is to make His Majesty in a dilemma, we and other ministers share the Lord's worries, if we don't take responsibility at this time, when will we take it?"

"But it involves the East Palace, and it has something to do with the prince of the dynasty. How many of us can afford such things? Don't we have to report to His Majesty in the end?"

"In the end, of course, but the question now is not whether to secretly discuss the crime of the crown prince, but whether to let the Ministry of Criminal Justice and the Jingzhao Mansion follow the clues they have found so hard to investigate the case! My suggestion is to investigate thoroughly. For that matter, I have a clear conclusion, and I will report it to His Majesty, and ask him to make a decision!"

"Agreed, let them investigate in secret, and the results of the investigation must not be announced to the public."

"Speaking of which, none of us here would think that His Majesty doesn't know about this, right? Since His Majesty knows and he has kept silent, isn't it easy to guess some things?"

Qin Xiang silently listened to everyone's discussion, and said: "In this case, let the Ministry of Punishment and the Jingzhao Mansion investigate and find out the truth about him, but the results must not be leaked! I will report to His Majesty when the truth comes out."

Everyone looked at each other and nodded in unison.
-
What the central ministers said was good, but it was like any secret as long as more than two people knew it, it would no longer be a secret. This kind of news was spread out as usual even with repeated orders, and it reached the ears of many top forces in the capital city.

Lv Rusong, the head of the head of honor, is naturally in this ranks.

After receiving the news, he sat in the room and pondered for a long time.

With his status, as long as he doesn't make mistakes, he is better than many people. Therefore, Wu Fu's thinking is very simple and effective. If I don't get involved in things that have nothing to do with Lao Tzu, there will be no loss.

In the previous incident, he only wanted to add fuel to the flames and make Xia Jingyun unlucky. He didn't care who was behind it and who was plotting against the Qin family.

But now, when the news reached his ears that the black hand behind the scenes might be the prince, he thought differently.

No matter how Linjiang County King and Jiaodong County King fight, or how Concubine Shu and Concubine De are behind them, the premise of all this is that the Crown Prince will be abolished.

As long as the prince is still in the East Palace, their fight is meaningless.

Although everyone believed that the crown prince must be abolished, there was an opportunity after all.

Could it be this opportunity?
He suddenly thought of a question. This case was co-trialed by the Criminal Ministry, Jingzhao Mansion and Heibingtai. Heibingtai was only loyal to His Majesty. Would His Majesty not know about this matter?

Since His Majesty knew it right away, why did His Majesty still not give instructions even after the news had reached his ears?
hiss!
Previously, it was obvious that Xia Jingyun was quite appreciated by His Majesty, and Concubine De was also favored in the harem, but His Majesty pretended to be deaf and dumb on this matter. He would rather let Xia Jingyun go to jail like this, and allow the Qin family to make things worse. Saved and bit on the prince, and took the opportunity to fulfill his final plan for the court?
Thinking of this, the British Duke stood up, and his expression became more serious.

After waiting for another night, when there was still no news from the palace, the British Duke made up his mind.

Add to the flames!

The crown prince abdicates, just this time!
In the afternoon of that day, rumors appeared in the city, pointing the finger at the crown prince for killing the eldest son of the Qin family!
The rumors also made up the details in a decent way, saying that the prince wanted to collude with the Qin family in order to strengthen his strength. Who knew that the Qin family would not follow, and the prince would come to be tough if he was not soft. He wanted to create opportunities and take advantage of the chaos. Annexed the Qin family.

As the rumors spread, someone told about Prince Zhan Shi's visit to the Qin Mansion;

Then among the three divisions, there were rumors that the Crown Prince Sheren and the groom who assassinated the eldest son of the Qin family often met, and that they were instructed by the Crown Prince to confess
All parties silently worked together to fill in all the details, making the news more and more true. From the evidence to the hearts of the people, they all began to develop rapidly in the direction that the prince was the mastermind of the assassination of Young Master Qin.

But the strange thing, whether it is the East Palace, which is in the center of the public opinion storm, or His Majesty, who should have taken action, seem to be blinded, maintaining an unpredictable and frightening silence.

At this moment, Xia Jingyun was still in the cramped numbered room, wrapped in a small blanket, eating dry food, desolate and sleepy, silently writing his answer sheet.

Just when the first three days of exams were about to end, and all the candidates would temporarily leave the Tribute Academy for a day off before taking the second exam, a decree suddenly came out from the palace that had been silent for three days:
The prince ordered Dongfangming as the trial, led the three associations, and publicly tried the case of Qin Yuwen, the eldest son of the Qin family, and broke the case for ten days.

(End of this chapter)