first minister

The wind in the square in front of the temple gently swirled towards the window, trying to peek through the cracks in the window edges.

In the hall, Xia Jingyun spoke calmly, tearing apart the solemn and almost stagnant atmosphere.

"Why don't you kneel?"

Xiao Fengshan narrowed his eyes, but still stood upright, "Why are you kneeling?"

"Master of Heaven and Earth, Your Majesty is above, why don't you kneel down?"

"Jun? Where did you come from? I only saw the rebellious people sitting on the dragon's throne; the evil people who cooperated with each other pretended to be in high positions. Xiao, a good man, is able to bend his head and kneel down to serve the traitors!"

Xiao Fengshan's words instantly caused an uproar in the hall.

Whether they are people who hope that Xia Jingyun will succeed or hope that he will fail, there is one thought in their mind:
Look, something happened, right?
Xia Jingyun's expression showed no emotion or anger, "Treason? Don't you feel ashamed when such words come out of your mouth? According to your opinion, the crown prince's ascension to the throne is justifiable and without any problems?"

Wei Yuanzhi frowned slightly, how could Gao Yang's words be so weak today?

Many people who had witnessed Xia Jingyun's incredible eloquence also secretly wondered how such words could gain any advantage in front of Xiao Fengshan.

As expected, Xiao Fengshan sneered, "The late emperor passed away, and as the prince is the heir, it is natural for him to succeed to the throne. However, there are some people who come from humble backgrounds and covet the magic weapon. Once things change, they do not want to be loyal to the emperor and love the country, but only seek their own selfish interests. Taking advantage of the court The brave warriors in the country put down rebellions, pacified the people, and suppressed bandits. When the capital was empty, they raised troubles in the capital, imprisoned the king, and stole the throne. Now they have to confuse right and wrong, using treason as loyalty and bravery, and loyalty and bravery as treason. Today, I am Xiao If I fall into your hands, I will kill or behead you as you please, but if I want to make Xiao surrender to you and other traitors, it is absolutely impossible!"

His momentum suddenly became strong, "You can destroy my body, but my loyalty and bravery will last for hundreds of years. History will tell it and future generations will comment on it!"

When the living man on the side saw this formation and heard these words, he was as excited as Chu'er when he saw the oiran. He wrote so hard that his hand almost left an afterimage.

Everyone in the hall looked at Xiao Fengshan standing proudly, and in a daze, they felt that the prison clothes and shackles on his body were all shining like medals.

Xia Jingyun still didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the problem, and still spoke calmly, "What an impassioned speech. The traitors are very clever. Today I have learned a lot."

Xiao Fengshan snorted lightly and said no more.

Like a proud general who disdains chatting with his defeated generals.

Xia Jingyun sighed, "So, if you refuse to plead guilty, the death of the late Emperor has nothing to do with you?"

"The death of the late emperor has long been publicized. Qin Ni has already been executed."

"Okay." Xia Jingyun nodded, "Take him aside and let him listen to what his accomplices have to say."

Several Forbidden Army soldiers were obedient and led Xiao Fengshan to the side hall.

The courtiers present could not sit still.

Wei Yuanzhi bravely stepped forward and said directly: "Jianning Marquis, these traitors can do such things that disregard human ethics and the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers. They are all extremely vicious, cunning and insidious people. If they are tried in such a grand manner, they will definitely not plead guilty." While he is under the law, he talks nonsense in court, confuses people's minds, and is even more likely to confuse right and wrong. In my opinion, it is better to enumerate his crimes, tell the world, and then discuss the crimes and punishments. This is also an ancient law. You won’t lose the dignity of the court, and you won’t have any future troubles!”

"The truth is that I don't agree with Lord Wei's words."

Wan Wenbi stepped out of the queue, first bowed his hands to De Fei and Dongfang Baiyi, and then said: "If it were before the trial started, there would be room for change, but now the arrow is on the string, or even the arrow has already left the string, An Neng changed his tune, and became What a farce? How do the world view today’s actions, and how do history books conclude today’s events?”

As the Prime Minister, his words can be described as high-sounding.

But the thinking inside is also very simple. If this matter fails, it will not have much impact on the court situation, but it will severely damage Xia Jingyun's authority.

An invincible general, once his invincible golden body is broken, is just an ordinary general and is no longer scary.

His authority in the center can also be completely strengthened.

Wan Wenbi's words attracted the approval of the ministers as he expected.

Yes, this is already the case, so how can we easily change our approach?Isn’t this just a joke?
Although this trial has almost turned into a joke.

They looked at Xia Jingyun, with various emotions such as anxiety, waiting, and gloating hidden in their seemingly calm eyes.

In the side hall, listening to the noise here, the corners of Xiao Fengshan's mouth curled up in contempt, with a sarcastic look on his face.

On the dragon chair, Dongfang Bai turned his head and glanced at Concubine De. Concubine De shook her head slightly, and Dongfang Bai sat down again.

Standing next to the case in front of the steps, Xia Jingyun smiled lightly, "It doesn't matter, although Xiao Fengshan is cunning and sinister, there is justice in the world. The trial of the case is to peel off the cocoons from their testimony and piece together the truth to convince the world. We live in the court and care for the world, and there are countless difficulties and obstacles than this. How can we give up halfway on trivial matters?"

He said in a deep voice: "Take Lu Rusong with you!"

Everyone looked at his confident look and couldn't help but sigh.

Such a smart person, how could he be so stubborn today? Can't he see the situation clearly?
If Lu Rusong is still like Xiao Fengshan, how can you get off the stage!
While everyone was on tenterhooks, Lu Rusong, who looked exactly like Xiao Fengshan, was brought into the palace by the soldiers of the Forbidden Army.

He looked at Dongfang Bai, who was sitting on the dragon chair, and Concubine De, who was sitting beside the curtain, looking in a daze. Since his grandson was born, almost all his goals have been for the scene in front of him. Unfortunately, all this has been completed. No chance with him anymore.

"Lu Rusong, why don't you kneel down!"

Listening to Xia Jingyun's words, many people had no choice but to hold their foreheads up, again?Aren't you giving people a target to shoot at?
But the next scene instantly shocked these slanderous ministers.

Lu Rusong's knees softened and he knelt on the ground.

"The guilty minister, Lu Rusong, comes to see the Queen Mother and Your Majesty!"

The sound in the hall seemed to be suddenly removed, leaving only a dead silence of shock and silence.

This is?

admit?

Surrender?
Xiao Fengshan in the side hall suddenly widened his eyes, and immediately realized, "Lu"

Just as he was about to say something, the guard at the side who had already received Xia Jingyun's order stuffed a rag prepared in advance into his mouth, leaving only a whining sound.

Xia Jingyun looked at Lu Rusong and said coldly: "What's your crime?"

Lu Rusong looked up at Xia Jingyun. Under his calm face, he closed his eyes as if resigned to his fate and said in a trembling voice: "The guilty minister colluded with Xiao Fengshan to kill the late emperor in the guilty minister's camp, and then supported the prince to ascend the throne and seize power. Your Majesty, After correcting the chaos, he became even more greedy, disregarding the importance of the common people and the teachings of his ancestors, and recklessly used weapons and weapons with the intention of counterattacking the capital, showing off his evil and power, which is a heinous crime."

The officials present were dumbfounded again. Is this the move?
So simple?
Xia Jingyun still had the same expression of neither happiness nor anger, "What happened that day? You can bring me to justice!"

"It was more than four months ago to talk about this matter."

Lu Rusong spoke slowly, revealing to everyone the truth behind the deep fog that day.

"At that time, Chunwei had just released the results. Xia Langzhong won three yuan in a row and won the top prize. Then he moved three times in one day. His favor could not be increased. One night, someone sent a secret letter to the guilty minister's house. The guilty minister was shocked when he opened it. The secret letter said that at this time, His Majesty favors the Concubine De and the King of Jiaodong County. Outside the Prince of Jiaodong County, Mr. Xia is leading a group of courtiers who are gradually becoming more powerful. Concubine De is favoring the imperial concubine in the harem and questioning the guilty ministers. Where is the road and how should I behave?"

"Everyone knows that the sinner's only thought at that time was that Shao'er could inherit the throne, so the accuracy of this letter touched the sinner's heart. After that, secret letters were sent from time to time, and the letters contained many secrets. Each of these incidents has aggravated the worries of the guilty minister. The guilty minister ordered people to search for the person who sent the message, but they repeatedly returned without success. Also due to selfish motives, I never reported it to Your Majesty."

"About a month has passed. At that time, Langzhong Xia had gone to Longshou Prefecture. The guilty minister received another letter, saying that His Majesty intended to make Concubine De as his queen. This was almost a precursor to establishing a crown prince. And as expected in the harem, Rumors arose, but His Majesty did not deny the matter. This made the guilty minister even more worried." "At this moment, the news of the death of the old army god came. On the second day after the death of the old army god, he wrote Those who believe will make an appointment with the guilty minister to meet."

"The guilty party hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to go to the appointment. When the guilty party saw the man, he was surprised and happy. The surprise was the identity of the man, and the joy was that if he could help, the chance of winning would be much greater."

Amid the sudden discussion among the officials, Xia Jingyun asked: "Who is that person?"

Lu Rusong said: "It is the Xuanhu who sits at the head of the Black Ice Platform."

Although everyone now knows that Xuanhu supports the prince and has been labeled as a rebel and is wanted all over the world, the officials in the court do not know the truth behind it. Now that they heard it, they all cheered and screamed. ear.

As for the living man and the clerks of various yamen, they were all so excited that they could write like flying.

"Only he, the leader of the Black Ice Platform who is in charge of the world's secret spies, can hide the secrets from everyone and quietly send those secrets into the guilty minister's house. After meeting, Xuanhu asked the guilty minister. At present, the prince of Jiaodong County is in the battle for the throne. We were already far ahead, so we asked the guilty minister what to do? The guilty minister said that since he had invited the guilty minister out, he must have found a way. He then suggested a way, which instantly scared the guilty minister out of his wits."

"He said that he could act as a guarantee and contact Xiao Fengshan, the governor of Longshou Prefecture, and then set up a trap to imprison His Majesty, and then force His Majesty to abdicate as the Crown Prince, so that the Crown Prince could naturally succeed to the throne, and then the Crown Prince would make the grandson of the guilty minister the crown prince. "

"Absurd!" After hearing this, a great Confucian minister couldn't help but rebuke, "You are also the hereditary founding father and the top dignitary in the court! How can you listen to such rebellious and absurd words!"

When it comes to this matter, Lu Rusong has put aside all dignity and thoughts, and only wants to preserve the inheritance of his ancestors. Hearing this, he said dullly: "The guilty minister naturally did not believe it at the time, but Xuanhu analyzed it for the guilty minister, and they will Sixiang Prefecture instigated a rebellion, and then tried to find a way to push the guilty minister to lead the army. Because the place of rebellion was very close to Longshou Prefecture, and Xiao Fengshan was a concern for His Majesty, His Majesty would definitely try to let the guilty minister take the opportunity to capture Xiao Fengshan and return to the capital. Then let Xiao Fengshan cooperate, and we can set up a trap to imprison His Majesty."

"If Your Majesty does not take the bait, the guilty minister will also be able to obtain a military merit, which will increase Shao'er's fight for the crown prince. There will be no harm. If it really comes true and the prince ascends the throne as he wishes, the guilty minister will have tens of thousands of soldiers and will have influence in the army. It's extremely impressive. Now that the old military god is dead, the guilty minister can rely on his prestige in the army to make the prince dare not act rashly and must abide by the agreement of the day. As for what happens next, Xuanhu said, it will be decided between the guilty minister and Xiao Fengshan Fight by yourself, he just wants to get away and be free."

"If the old military god was still alive and could bring peace to the country, the guilty minister would naturally not dare to take such a dangerous step. But the old military god was dead. The guilty minister thought about it all night and felt that he could defeat Xiao Fengshan, so he finally agreed to his proposal. .”

There was silence in the court hall, and bursts of overwhelming anger immediately arose.

"Lu Rusong, you have been favored by the country in this life, why do you have such evil intentions!"

"I thought that your ancestors assisted Taizu and fought bloody battles for the great cause of the country. As a descendant, you actually did such a rebellious thing. What face do you have to meet your ancestors who are under the Nine Springs!"

"You agree to such a conspiracy just for the sake of being the crown prince. Lu Rusong, you are not only bad, you are also stupid as hell!"

"I have already planned it. How can you, a martial artist, defeat me? You are stupid and bad. Lu Rusong, you should be cut into pieces by a thousand cuts!"

Waves of angry curses were shouted out from the mouths of the courtiers, either sincerely or in disguise, and the court hall instantly became noisy.

"quiet!"

Xia Jingyun shouted in a deep voice, suppressing everyone's voices, and then looked at Lu Rusong, "What happened next?"

"What happened later was very simple. Liang County in Sixiang Prefecture really rebelled, and the guilty minister was indeed ordered to lead the troops to go on an expedition. Before the expedition, His Majesty secretly ordered the guilty minister to take the opportunity to capture Xiao Fengshan. When the guilty minister led the troops to Liang County, Xiao Fengshan cooperated very well in sending troops, and then the guilty minister took the opportunity to capture him, and then returned to the capital with his troops."

"After returning to Beijing, we were stationed outside the city, and His Majesty decided to come to the army in person. Because he did not want to bear the reputation of a ruthless and unjust person, His Majesty did not make a big splash, but under the leadership of Xuanhu and Black Cavalry, whom he trusted very much. Next, I came to the army at night."

"When we arrived in the army, His Majesty also directly interrogated Xiao Fengshan. However, when we took off the disguise and revealed our true colors, His Majesty did not compromise at all. He firmly disagreed with the Zen crown prince's actions and waited for an opportunity to escape from the Chinese army's tent."

At this point, he paused and said in a slightly trembling voice: "Xiao Fengshan has quick eyes and quick hands. In order to prevent defeat, he directly drew his sword and killed His Majesty!"

There was a bang, and a sound seemed to explode above the hall.

The dignitaries and civil and military officials of the entire dynasty finally understood the truth of the matter at this moment.

In the side hall, Xiao Fengshan's eyes widened and he couldn't help struggling, whimpering in despair and unwillingness.

Lu Rusong continued: "At that time, the guilty minister was so frightened that he only thought about the military remonstrance to force His Majesty to give up the throne, but he never thought about regicide! But Xiao Fengshan said he was not panic, he had already thought of the scapegoat. At this time , the guilty minister realized that he had quietly brought Qin Sichao into the army. It was ridiculous that Mr. Qin thought that he could still play chess in the world and made many suggestions for Xiao Fengshan. Unexpectedly, after the success, he brought him into the tent, but it was To take the blame."

"Xiao Fengshan forged the scene of the incident, and then called the soldiers outside the tent, saying that Qin Sichao had committed regicide. After that, the guilty minister led his troops into the capital, opened the city gate, and called all the central princes to support him, but they were still locked up His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the East Palace. Everyone knows what happened next, so there is nothing more to say."

He kowtowed heavily, "The sinner made a big mistake due to a mistake in his mind. He knew that his sin was unforgivable, so he did not dare to ask for mercy. This brought disaster to the whole family. I am willing to die to thank the world. However, the British lineage has been loyal and loyal for generations, and the ancestors of all generations have shed their blood for the country." As a matter of loyalty, the guilty minister asks the Queen Mother and Her Majesty to retain the title of British Duke. The guilty minister and more than a hundred members of my family should die to atone for their sins!"

"Don't even think about it!"

"Dream! Regicide, rebellion, and raids on every household. How can we conquer the world if we don't punish the nine tribes!"

Lu Rusong knelt down respectfully, raised his head slightly, and looked at Xia Jingyun pleadingly.

"This matter will be discussed later. However, if you are willing to confess today and be lenient, I think the Queen Mother and Your Majesty should also consider it."

Xia Jingyun said: "Go down first!"

"The guilty minister will leave."

Lu Rusong stood up tremblingly, looked at Xia Jingyun pleadingly, and walked out of the palace door with the support of two Forbidden Army soldiers.

At this moment, the way everyone looked at Xia Jingyun quietly changed.

Smarter people, based on Xia Jingyun's uncharacteristic behavior just now, had already guessed that Xia Jingyun might have used his British Duke's title in exchange for Lu Rusong's confession in exchange for his confession. No wonder he looked like he was sure of victory.

I have to say, this hand is very sharp and precise.

It did save a lot of situations.

However, now the two of them, one firmly denying it and the other identifying it in detail, insist on completely opposite opinions.

Although it sounds like the case can be closed, there is still a long way to go to achieve the goal of blocking the public's attention.

And the next one is the prince. He can't help but side with his uncle and admit that he is a traitor, right?
If this is the case, only one of the three people confesses, which is hard to convince everyone!
Just when everyone was a little worried, Xia Jingyun spoke again.

"Bring Dongfang Ming!"

Not long after, Dongfang Ming, dressed in prison clothes, was brought in.

The former emperor, now a prisoner, when he stood in the palace and looked at Dongfang Bai on the dragon chair, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.

But when his eyes moved to Xia Jingyun's calm face, it was like a cold devil, and instantly there was only fear left in his heart.

Xia Jingyun took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Dongfang Ming, the late emperor died, and there are many doubts. The truth has been confessed by Lu Rusong. You'd better recruit the truth. At least you can keep a whole body and avoid the pain of being quartered!"

Everyone looked at the former prince and emperor, wanting to see what attitude he would take and what impassioned words he would say to resist the dirty water thrown by the court.

In front of everyone, Dongfang Ming's knees softened, he knelt down and cried:
"This was all my uncle's idea, and he killed my father himself. I was in the East Palace all night, and I didn't know anything!"

The whole hall was shocked and silent.

In the side hall, Xiao Fengshan's eyes were about to burst. He was stunned for a long time, then raised his head in relief and closed his eyes.

Two lines of blood and tears flowed from his eyes. (End of chapter)