Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 438
Lai Shangrong didn't pay much attention to Miaoyu. After having a brief taste of each other in the prison that day, Prince Jing's body and the accompanying team from Tiewangshan returned to Beijing.

The Jin Yiwei searched for the picture and found the source based on the model of the military crossbow.

The military crossbow came from the warehouse of the Ordnance Department. When arresting the relevant personnel, it was discovered that a warehouse manager was missing.

But before Jin Yiwei could send out the portrait and urge the nearby state capital to cooperate in the investigation, the Chang'an County Magistrate came to Jin Yiwei with a face of fear and a corpse and a letter.

When Lai Shangrong arrived after hearing the news, Qi Ninggang arranged for personnel from the Ordnance Department to identify the body.

After confirming that the corpse was that of the steward who had not been heard from, the two of them did not dare to delay for a moment, and immediately took the letter to the palace to present it.

On the way, Qi Ning asked, "What do you think, Mr. Lai?"

"Judging from the traces on the body, it seems that the money was stolen. Wu Zuo also made a preliminary judgment that the time of death was about seven or eight days ago. The calculated time coincides with the time when the news of Prince Jing's assassination came back. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just that the area around Gyeonggi has always been peaceful. How come this sudden bandit happened to rob this man? And although the clothes on his body were somewhat damaged, they were still valuable... Even the letters were unopened, although there were traces of dew... …”

"Master Lai, listen to my advice. Although these doubts are suspicious, sometimes they are just coincidences. Now that the assassin is dead, the person who stole the crossbow is also dead. If you keep holding on to the doubts, I am afraid this case will never be solved. ”

Qining said, taking out half of the letter wrapped in a brocade handkerchief from his arms.

He continued: "This was found in the Prince's Mansion in Beijing today. Mr. Lai might as well take a look first!"

The reason why Qi Ning asked Lai Shangrong for his opinion was to unify the narrative. He was worried that because Lai Shangrong had business dealings with King Zhongshun, he would cling to the doubtful points, causing the case to never end.

Lai Shangrong read half of the letter and said, "This doesn't seem to mean anything! The murderer came from the Prince's Palace in Beijing. This is a generally recognized fact!"

"Indeed! But some people are making unnecessary efforts! Mr. Lai is not familiar with old affairs in the military. Most of the contents reported in the letter are the former King Beijing's cronies in the military."

"Are you saying that someone else deliberately placed this letter in the palace?"

"Who knows whether it is true or not? But it is an indisputable fact that King Zhongshun went to the palace. Moreover, there is no trace of ashes next to this half-burned letter."

After listening to Qi Ning's analysis, Lai Shangrong couldn't help but remember that the emperor ordered him to secretly monitor King Zhongshun.

It seems that not only the evidence points to King Zhongshun, but even Emperor Zhenglong has doubts.

"Thank you, Mr. Qi, for reminding me! Let's present the evidence and listen to the emperor's ruling!"

Lai Shangrong cupped his hands and understood each other tacitly.

He actually had no intention of defending King Zhongshun, but he had watched too many TV dramas and expressed his doubts out of the modern habit of doubting the guilt and ignoring it.

"Snapped!"

After listening to the report, Emperor Zhenglong slapped the imperial case and said angrily: "You bastard!"

"Cough cough cough!" He coughed several times before calming down a little.

King Zhongshun was different from others. Emperor Zhenglong could not just listen to partial beliefs, and then ordered the imperial eunuchs in the palace to bring King Zhongshun into the palace.

Naturally, Lai Shangrong and Qining would not be left to watch this scene of brotherly confrontation.

After leaving the palace, he parted ways with Qining.When Lai Shangrong returned to the State Administration Department, he saw two brothers, Jinchang and Jinlong, already waiting to check in.

"Sir! The students followed your instructions to keep an eye on Prince Zhongshun's Mansion. Last night, a group of people from the Prince's Mansion sneaked out. The students followed them all the way and found that they had arrived at a remote place outside the city. Suddenly there was an internal fight. , the students and others came forward and controlled everyone, and now they are under strict supervision, waiting for the adults to deal with them."

The graduates of these schools for workers' children are not called "subordinates" or "subordinates"; they all regard themselves as students.

Despite the emperor's order, Lai Shangrong did not dare to use old people like Chen Wu and Song Yun to monitor the princes of the dynasty. The students who graduated this year and joined the army not only have fresh faces, but also have little experience in the world. They are not afraid of tigers as newborn calves, so they are grateful to themselves. , taking his orders as a guideline can be used just right.

Following the two men to the detention center, after questioning, Lai Shangrong secretly said, King Zhongshun is finished.

He ordered: "You guys, along with me, wait in front of the palace gate for the emperor's summons!"

On the way, Jinchang and Jinlong hesitated and said: "Sir! The students followed this group of people out of the city and met a few suspicious people at the city gate. They seemed to be staring at them. However, the situation was urgent at the time and we wanted to find out later. Those people have disappeared without a trace!”

Lai Shangrong secretly thought, could it be that the emperor is worried about himself?

He warned: "Just pretend you don't know about this and don't tell anyone!"

The thing is very simple. Although the assassin is dead, Emperor Zhenglong can't calm down his anger. He hangs the body on the tower and whips him every day.

After all, the assassin was sent by King Zhongshun. He was worried that the people who participated in the assassination would see the assassin's appearance and remember the past, so he ordered people to deceive the insiders who participated in the assassination outside the city, intending to silence them all once and for all.

Outside the palace gate, Lai Shangrong told the Jin brothers to take good care of the people in the palace and wait to be summoned.

Arriving at the Imperial Study Room, the confrontation between the emperor and King Zhongshun's brother was not over yet.

No matter how stupid King Zhongshun is, he knows that once he recognizes that the assassin he sent to Prince Beijing's palace, he will not be able to escape even if he jumps into the Yellow River.

Therefore, he refused to admit it and insisted that it was Lai Shangrong and Jin Yiwei who colluded with King Beijing to frame him.

Therefore, the eunuch Tong Tong Lai Shangrong asked for an audience, and Emperor Zhenglong immediately admitted him, intending to let the two confront each other while he observed.

"Lai Aiqing came just in time. King Zhongshun Gaoyou and Jin Yiwei conspired to frame him. Do you have any defense?"

Lai Shangrong considered it and said: "Go back to the emperor! The people sent by me to keep an eye on the palace have just received news that a group of sneaky people were following the palace last night... Now, the witnesses are all waiting outside the palace, please let the emperor make it clear!"

In front of King Zhongshun, in order to save the emperor's face, Lai Shangrong could not tell clearly that Emperor Zhenglong had doubts about him, so he put the spotlight on himself.

Before he finished speaking, King Zhongshun fell to the ground with a 'plop' sound.

Then, he suddenly fell to his knees and wailed: "Your Majesty! I'm afraid that King Beijing already knew that the assassin was a spy sent by my brother, so he used a trick to frame my brother!"

His statement indeed aroused the suspicion of Emperor Zhenglong, but then he added another sentence in order to win the emperor's trust: "If they hadn't colluded to frame my brother, in order to leave the most suspicious King Beijing uninvestigated, they just stared at my brother?"

As soon as these words came out, Emperor Zhenglong looked a little ferocious and shouted: "The facts are all there, how can we allow you to quibble! Come here! Quickly escort this treacherous and unethical person to the Jinyi Guard Prison and wait to be punished!"

Afterwards, Emperor Zhenglong ignored King Zhongshun's complaints and complaints.

Since he himself admitted that he sent people to trap and kill insiders, there was no need for the emperor to see witnesses.

…………

(End of this chapter)