Conan's physique? The Crown Princess is involved in a murder case again

Xu Xingyin nodded and walked lightly into the study.

The scene in the study was no different from usual, except that the memorials piled on the table were obviously much less than before. It was obvious that Jing Zhichen had almost finished dealing with them.

Jing Zhichen was half leaning on the couch with his eyes closed. His handsome face looked even softer in the mottled light and shadow, completely different from his usual stern image.

Xu Xingyin lightened his footsteps, slowly walked to Jing Zhichen's side, and called softly.

"Your Highness?"

Jing Zhichen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fell on Xu Xingyin's face, and his tone was flat.

"You came."

Xu Xingyin nodded and sat down next to Jing Zhichen. Seeing Jing Zhichen's tired face, he couldn't help but ask.

"No matter how busy you are, Your Highness, please don't forget to take care of your own health."

Hearing this, a hint of tenderness flashed in Jing Zhichen's eyes.

"I've remembered this. I heard that the Crown Princess returned to the Duke's Mansion today?"

Xu Xingyin hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and told the truth.

"I went to see Lu Jiamu under the pretext of returning to the Duke's Mansion."

Jing Zhichen raised his eyebrows slightly, "Oh?"

Xu Xingyin briefly explained the matter of Lu Jiamu, and at the end he asked tentatively, "I wonder what Your Highness thinks about this matter?"

Jing Zhichen was silent for a moment and then spoke slowly.

"Since the Crown Princess has come to see me, I believe you have already made up your mind. You may as well speak frankly."

"I think it's worth a try."

Jing Zhichen was not surprised by this answer, and instead of answering, he asked:

"Don't you know the principle of cutting the grass at its roots, Crown Princess?"

"During this period of time, I believe that Your Highness has also investigated Lu Jiamu privately. This person is very cautious. He is the only person who knows about the case of the Zhennan General's Mansion. If he doesn't speak up, there is no hope of overturning the verdict."

"So, you agree to let him confess his crime and then pardon his son?"

Xu Xingyin pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, showing little confidence.

"I also know that this is not a good idea, but it is the most appropriate one at the moment. Lu Xu has made many contributions in the Jinyiwei, and if his merits and demerits are offset, it can be considered an explanation, and it can be accepted on the surface."

"Does the Crown Princess really think so?"

Jing Zhichen's voice sounded a little cold, making it difficult to understand his emotions.

Xu Xingyin thought that Jing Zhichen was just a man of rules, so he lowered his voice a few notches.

"Yes."

Jing Zhichen's voice was slightly deep, with a barely perceptible hint of dissatisfaction in his words.

"Xu Xingyin, have you become soft-hearted towards Lu Xu?"

Xu Xingyin looked up at Jing Zhichen, his eyes seeming a little puzzled.

"I am not biased towards Lu Xu, but..."

"Just what?"

Jing Zhichen asked, his tone calm but the jealousy in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

"It's just that Lu Xu is indeed unaware of this matter, and he is not someone who doesn't understand reason. So I think Lu Jiamu's suggestion is not completely unacceptable."

Jing Zhichen's gaze lingered on Xu Xingyin's face for a moment, as if trying to distinguish the truth from falsehood in her words.

Noticing Jing Zhichen's gaze, Xu Xingyin also felt uneasy.

She knew Jing Zhichen's personality; their prince was not someone who would easily change his mind.

Jing Zhichen stared at Xu Xingyin for a long while, and unexpectedly, nodded slightly.

"According to what you said, I will take care of the matter with my father."

Hearing Jing Zhichen say this, Xu Xingyin finally breathed a sigh of relief and said sincerely.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Jing Zhichen didn't respond, but just reminded him coldly.

"However, I would like to remind Lu Jiamu that he'd better behave himself. There are some things that I can give him, but I can also take them back at any time."

"Your Highness, I will convey your words to you."

Xu Xingyin's words were respectful, but Jing Zhichen didn't like them at all.

However, he did not show this emotion. He just said calmly: "You can leave now."

Then he closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.

Xu Xingyin was quite obedient. He responded and left the study.

……

With Jing Zhichen's approval, the following things went very smoothly.

On the second day, Lu Jiamu kept his promise and confessed the secret that had been kept secret for that year in the court where the three judges held a joint trial.

Since the trade between Xikun State and Dayan began, it has tasted the sweetness of trade, but it has also suffered from the heavy tariffs, so it has taken a different approach and set its sights on the south of the Yangtze River.

Jiangnan has always been a transportation hub for water trade. If one can use the Jiangnan waterways to avoid the checkpoints opened by the imperial court, it means that one can obtain greater benefits.

Therefore, someone from Xikun Kingdom secretly found Lu Jiamu, who was the prefect of Jiangling at the time, to discuss avoiding the imperial checkpoints and transporting supplies from Jiangnan to Dayan.

The other party was attracted by the Lu family's complex network of relationships in the Jiangnan region, but they did not realize that this was both an advantage and a disadvantage for the Lu family.

Having extensive connections means that Lu Jiamu needs a lot of money to maintain it.

Therefore, Lu Jiamu, who was attracted by the generous remuneration, did not refuse the cooperation method proposed by the other party.

Although the Xikun Kingdom wanted to profit from this matter, it was more afraid that the matter would be exposed and offend Dayan, so both sides were very cautious in the first two years.

But as time went on, the Xikun Kingdom became bolder, and more goods entered the country from Jiangnan.

As a result, the clues were discovered by the then Zhennan General Chen Zisong.

Perhaps because of their long-term friendship, Lu Xu brought a message to Lu Jiamu.

The reminder was very obscure, meaning that if one could turn back from the wrong path and surrender to the government, perhaps one could still save his face.

Lu Jiamu was also a smart man, and even though the words were so vague, he quickly understood them.

However, Lu Jiamu did not surrender himself to the government office as Chen Zisong expected, but chose to reveal the evidence of Zhang Zishi's crime to Chen Zisong.

When Chen Zisong investigated Zhang Zishi, Zhang Zishi naturally became extremely panicked.

At this time, he only needed to extend an olive branch, and Zhang Zishi would voluntarily take the bait and help him deal with Chen Zisong.

Poor Chen Zisong, he didn't know until his death that the mastermind behind the incident was Lu Jiamu. Even the letter accusing him of "collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country" was written by Lu Jiamu.

After saying all this calmly, Lu Jiamu smiled bitterly twice, with a hint of relief in his eyes.

All these sins and deceptions had weighed on his heart for too long, and now that he was finally able to talk about them, he seemed to feel an unprecedented sense of relief.

Lu Xu, kneeling in the court, felt as if struck by lightning, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock and grief.

He never thought that his father would do such a thing.

What was even more unexpected was that the Lu family was the culprit behind the tragedy at the Zhennan General’s Mansion.

He has always stood on the opposite side of Xu Xingyin.

Even though, I am unaware of it.

Lu Xu's voice was trembling and excited, "Why... why, father, why!"

A complex emotion flashed in Lu Jiamu's eyes, and he had a lot to say, but in the end, he just sighed and responded in a low voice.

"Ayang, some things are not as simple as you think. Daddy has no choice. I'm sorry."