Your Majesty, he is as beautiful as a flower

The situation at this time was beyond Cheng Wanqiao's expectation. He protected Yuchen behind his back, "Father, the assassination just now has nothing to do with Yuchen, please check it out!"

Cheng Yan said angrily: "The one who assassinated me just now was a member of the Yu clan. He is the son of King Yu, he didn't instigate him, who else?!"

Cheng Wanqiao didn't believe that Yuchen would instigate someone to assassinate his father, "This matter needs to be investigated, please think again, father!"

At this time, Shangshu ordered Wu Chengan to stand up, "Your Highness, assassinating the king of a country is a serious crime to exterminate the nine clans. You have just seen that the one who assassinated His Majesty was a member of the Yu clan. Even if he didn't do it, he You can’t get away from it either.”

"Your Highness." Yu Chen behind him said, "Do you still remember what I told you when I went out today?"

Cheng Wanqiao turned her head and looked at Yuchen who was still calm.When going out today, he deliberately grabbed him and said, no matter what happens today, you must listen to him.

Unexpectedly, something really happened.

Yuchen said calmly, "You don't have to defend me, and you don't have to save me, I'll be fine."

"Can……"

"obedient."

Wu Cheng'an said to those imperial guards who were still unwilling to attack: "What are you still dawdling about? Don't you want to resist the order and not obey it!"

Yuchen didn't wait for them to catch him, but took the initiative to step forward and said, "Where are you going, I'll go with you."

The imperial guards holding swords all looked at each other in blank dismay. Just now His Majesty only said to take him down, but didn't say where he took him.

Cheng Yan ordered: "Put him in the sky prison and wait to be punished!"

A good dragon sacrifice ceremony finally turned into this situation, and Yuchen also changed from a god who was respected by first-rank officials to a prisoner.

Cheng Wanqiao didn't dare to act rashly, he could only watch helplessly as Yu Chen was taken away by the imperial army.

He knew in his heart that if he stopped by force at this time, he would definitely be arrested as an accomplice, and then no one would be able to clear up Yuchen's grievances.

The sky was gray, and the people on the Dragon Sacrifice Platform withdrew one after another.

An official shook his head and said: "I didn't expect the Yu clan to be ungrateful. Back then Jing Guo wanted to wipe out the Yu clan. If my court soldiers hadn't arrived in time to save them, they would have been wiped out by the Jing army long ago. Now I respect him It’s a godly king, but they are so lucky that they still want to kill the king.”

"After all, it's not an orthodox god clan, but a descendant of god clan and humans. It's flattering to respect him as a god, but he doesn't know what's good or what's wrong."

The world always likes to add insult to injury, Yu Chen was so good at the beginning, but now he is degraded.

-

Outside Zhengqing Palace, Cheng Wanqiao knelt on the stone slab, his back was straight, the tip of his nose and ears were purple from the cold wind, but his eyes were still determined.

This kneeling lasts for two hours.

Cheng Yan's accompanying eunuch came out and said, "Fifth Highness, Your Majesty has been frightened and resting, and no one has been seen."

Cheng Wanqiao looked at the old eunuch and said, "Please pass on a message, please tell my father that the Yu clan was born in Yulingxi, which is like a paradise. There was a misunderstanding."

"Your Majesty said that he will investigate this matter."

"I have something important to say in front of my father, please convey it to my father-in-law."

The old eunuch was in a bit of trouble, "Your Majesty has sent a message, no one will be seen today, Fifth Highness, you should go back quickly."

Cheng Wanqiao thought that he might not see Cheng Yan today, but he would not give up, "Then I will come back tomorrow."

"This……"

Cheng Wanqiao got up from the ground, cupped his hands towards the old eunuch, then turned and left.

Before he had gone far, something melted at the tip of his nose. He raised his head and realized that it was snowing. This was the first snow this year.

Yuchen said this morning that it will snow today.

As soon as he left the gate of the palace, Jiang Hanxing, who had been waiting here for a long time, greeted him, "Your Highness!"

Cheng Wanqiao asked, "How was Yuchen?"

Jiang Hanxing said: "I heard that he was locked in the innermost cell of the sky prison and under strict supervision."

The innermost cell of the sky prison is used to detain serious offenders, with iron walls and iron walls, and it is impossible to escape.

"I'll go and have a look." Cheng Wanqiao rode his horse all the way to the prison.

That snow was still falling, and it was not heavy at first, but gradually, a thin layer was deposited on the ground.

A lot of forbidden guards were added around the prison, and before Cheng Wanqiao reached the entrance of the prison, Cheng Wanqiao was stopped by the patrolling guards, "Your Highness Fifth, you cannot go in."

Jiang Hanxing behind Cheng Wanqiao said: "You guys are so courageous! How dare His Highness Fifth stop?"

The imperial guards guarding the sky prison cupped their hands and said, "Forgive me, Your Highness Fifth. We are following His Majesty's orders, and we really dare not disobey."

Cheng Wanqiao said: "I was also ordered to investigate the assassination on the altar today. I will go in and ask questions, and I will come out in a quarter of an hour."

The imperial army remained unmoved, "Your Highness, Your Majesty has an order that no one is allowed to enter unless there is an order from His Majesty."

"If you don't go in and ask questions, how can you investigate?"

The imperial guards cupped their hands and said, "Return to Your Highness, the prisoner has already been recruited."

Cheng Wanqiao was taken aback, "What did you say?!"

"People from the Ministry of Punishment have questioned me today, and the prisoner admitted that he ordered the assassination."

impossible!

Cheng Wanqiao didn't believe it, "But he was tortured?"

"This... I don't know my humble job."

Cheng Wanqiao's heart sank, he rushed inside, "I'll see for myself!"

The guards around him all came over to stop him, "Your Highness, please go back, we will not be able to resist the order no matter what."

Cheng Wanqiao's hands under the sleeves were clenched into fists, and his nails almost sank into his flesh. He didn't believe that Yuchen would do this, they must have used tricks to force him to admit it.

He gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to do something, he said: "Okay, I won't go in, you send someone in to have a look at him, tell me his situation, and if he is injured, report the truth."

The leader of the forbidden army thought for a while, and it seemed that doing so was not considered a disobedience to the imperial decree. He said, "Well, let me go in and have a look."

Cheng Wanqiao stood outside the sky prison and waited. The snow was still falling, and it was getting bigger and bigger. The snowflakes fell on his hair and shoulders, and soon turned into water, forming water spots.

Not long after, the imperial guards who went in to check came out, and he said: "Go back to His Royal Highness, the prisoner has not been punished or injured."

Cheng Wanqiao temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.

The imperial guard said: "He also asked me to bring a message to His Highness Fifth."

Cheng Wanqiao hurriedly said, "Say it quickly."

"He said that he is fine, don't worry about him, let you go home and have a good rest."

Hearing these words, Cheng Wanqiao's eyes turned red, how could he not be worried, originally after today, they were going to go to Chizhou to live the peaceful days, but this happened.

Cheng Wanqiao said: "Can you send another letter for me?"

The imperial army was a little embarrassed, "This..."

At this time, there were footsteps approaching, stepping on the snow and rustling, and there was more than one person hearing the sound, "Your Highness Fifth! There is such a heavy snow, why did you come here if you don't go back to the house to take shelter from the snow?"

Cheng Wanqiao followed the sound and looked over, it was Shang Shu who ordered Wu Cheng'an, "Why did Master Wu come to the prison?"

Wu Cheng'an said: "I came here to inspect at the order of Your Majesty. Your Majesty has a decree. If someone breaks into the prison by force, he will be killed without pardon. If someone helps the emperor to abuse him, we will secretly match and build a bridge to punish him for resisting the decree."

As he said that, Wu Cheng'an sternly said: "Come here, and take down those who help the tyrant and abuse him!"

The guards behind Wu Cheng'an stepped forward and arrested the forbidden army who had just sent the message.

The imperial guard who had just sent the message begged for mercy loudly, "Lord Wu, please forgive me, I just went in to have a look on behalf of His Highness the Fifth Highness, and didn't do anything!"

"What's the use of my forgiveness, you disobeyed the imperial decree!"

Cheng Wanqiao clenched his teeth, and said: "I ordered him to go, and I was the one who resisted the order. If you want to arrest me, you must arrest me. Please let Master Wu let him go."

Wu Chengan cupped his hands towards Cheng Wanqiao, "Of course I dare not arrest Your Highness, but, as a subject, I only obey His Majesty's order, and please don't make things difficult for me and my subjects."

Cheng Wanqiao took a deep breath. Wu Cheng'an's move was obviously to force him to leave, and he didn't want to involve innocent people. He said, "Well, Lord Wu, let him go, and I'll leave right away."

"Slow down, Your Highness."

Before he knew it, the sky had gradually darkened. Cheng Wanqiao got on his horse and rode the horse galloping in the heavy snow.

He went to Yixiang Mansion first.

A seal has been pasted on the gate of Qinyuan in Yixiang Mansion, and a thick layer of snow has accumulated at the gate. It took less than a day, and everything changed.

Cheng Wanqiao got off the horse, stepped on the snow on the ground and walked to the door, looking at the seal above, her eyes were sore.

Jiang Hanxing behind him persuaded: "Your Highness, forget it."

"What's the matter?"

Jiang Hanxing said: "Just now you also heard that Mr. Yuchen admitted that he is the mastermind behind the scenes. If you continue to investigate, you may also be implicated."

Cheng Wanqiao closed his eyes, of course he knew, but he couldn't let it go, he knew better than anyone else that Yuchen couldn't do that.

Suddenly thought of something, Cheng Wanqiao asked Jiang Hanxing beside him, "Apart from Yuchen, is there anyone else who was thrown into the prison today?"

Jiang Hanxing was confused, "Who is your Highness referring to?"

"I mean other people in Yixiang Mansion."

Jiang Hanxing shook his head, "I don't know the end, but the entourage of Yixiang Mansion was arranged by the Ministry of Rites. Yixiang Mansion was seized, and those entourages may have been dismissed."

No, what he was talking about was not the entourage, but Yuchen's bodyguard Lang. He usually had a very low sense of presence, hardly spoke, and occasionally followed them in the dark, but where did he go after they entered the palace today?

Cheng Wanqiao had some vague guesses.

"General Jiang."

Jiang Hanxing cupped his fists, "The end is here."

"Go and check one thing."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"There is a guard by Yuchen's side, named Lang, you go and check his whereabouts."

"Yes."

It was already dark, and Cheng Wanqiao had been running around all day, and knelt in front of the Zhengqing Palace for two hours without a drop of water.

He looked at the night with heavy snow, he didn't know where to go next or how to go.

-

Early the next morning, Cheng Wanqiao dragged his tired body to the court, and after the court, he followed Cheng Yan all the way to the imperial study.

Cheng Yan didn't stop him, he let him in.

Cheng Wanqiao knelt down in front of him, "Father, my son has something to say."

Cheng Yan glanced at him casually, took a sip of the ginseng soup handed over by the eunuch at the side, "What do you want to say? Say it."

Cheng Wanqiao said: "For the past few months, my son has served as the guard of the god, and spends time with the god in Yixiang Mansion every day. I can testify that the god has absolutely nothing to do with this murder!"

Cheng Yan said: "Yesterday, people from the Ministry of Punishment have already interrogated him, and he admitted it. Why, do you still want to excuse him?"

Cheng Wanqiao said: "I just feel that there is something hidden about this matter, which should be clearly investigated."

"Oh? You still want to check?"

"Yes, I also ask my father to give me permission to let my son thoroughly investigate this matter!"

"Huh!" Cheng Yan snorted coldly, and slammed the bowl of ginseng soup on the table, "How much face do you think you have?! If it's not because you are my son, but because you are fighting against the enemy If you have meritorious service, just because you protected the rebels yesterday, I would have thrown you into the prison a long time ago!"

Cheng Wanqiao stared at the floor, "Could it be that Father doesn't want to know why the Yu Clan want to assassinate?"

"The criminal department will naturally investigate this matter, and you don't need to take care of it!"

"Father..."

Cheng Yan sternly said, "Get down!"

Cheng Wanqiao cupped his hands feebly, "I will leave."

It snowed all night last night, and the palace was covered with white snow and wrapped in silver.

Cheng Wanqiao came out of the imperial study in a daze, staring at the front without focusing, thinking in his heart, what else could he do for Yuchen.

Cheng Jinliang led two eunuchs to greet him. He was wearing fox fur and holding a soup lady, which was very different from the thinly dressed Cheng Wanqiao.

He stood still six feet away, looked Cheng Wanqiao up and down, "Five emperors, why are you doing this, the rebels have recruited themselves, if you continue to be stubborn, I'm afraid it will be hard for you to protect yourself."

There is a bit of gloating in the tone.

Cheng Wanqiao walked around Cheng Jinliang with a cold face.

Out of the gate of the palace, Cheng Wanqiao didn't know where to go for a while, he couldn't go to Tianlao, he couldn't go to Yixiang Mansion, where could he go?Go back and sit in your own house?

Many officials who had just come out of the palace gate just bowed their hands politely when they saw him, and didn't want to talk to him.This is the case in the imperial court, when it is prosperous, it is not afraid that no one will take the initiative to curry favor with it, and flatter it.

The servant in the mansion greeted him with a black cloak on his arm, "Your Highness, it's cold, please wear a cloak."

Cheng Wanqiao raised his hand, "No need."

He got into the carriage and was silent for a while before returning home.

The carriage was driving slowly in the snow, and Cheng Wanqiao was sitting in the carriage. Thinking about the past 21 years, he should have seen all kinds of scenes. I've never been so confused.

Facing the enemy, he only needs to make himself stronger, and try his best to deal with it, even if he dies without regret, but for Yuchen, he values ​​it more than anything else, he wants to protect him, wants to pamper him, But at this very moment, he was being greatly wronged, but there was nothing he could do.

The carriage stopped suddenly, and the boy driving the carriage on the shaft said: "Your Highness, someone is blocking the way."

Cheng Wanqiao in the carriage opened the curtain and looked out, only to see four people lined up on the street, just blocking the way.He has never seen these four people, but it seems that they are coming for him.

He got out of the carriage and looked at the four people in the snow, "What's the matter, everyone?"

One of them cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness Fifth, our master wants to see you."

"Who is your master?" Cheng Wanqiao asked.

"You'll know when you see it."

Judging from their tone of voice, it seems that their master is a big shot, otherwise he would not have intercepted the prince at will, and he did not want to reveal his name.

Cheng Wanqiao wanted to know who the person who wanted to see him was. If this person appeared at this moment, he must know something, "Okay, please lead the way."

The person who spoke just now said: "You can only go alone."

Cheng Wanqiao glanced at the servant behind him, "Stay here and wait for me."

"Yes, Your Highness."