I feel at ease

After returning to the palace from Huishan Hot Spring, seeing the twelfth lunar month, Fang Cheng'an still stayed in the side hall of Zhengyang Palace in the name of a guard.In the court hall, there are gradually folded books playing, and the etiquette cannot be dismissed. Then it is rumored that this person is Fang Cheng'an, a remnant of the Fang family's rebellion, and the officials are in an uproar.

Finally one day, the Ministry of Punishment played: Zhang Shan, the guard, is suspected of being the criminal Fang, who is now hiding in the harem. Please let the emperor release someone for questioning.

Emperor Wu Shun stared at the courtiers coldly and said, "Why are you suspicious?"

The Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment said: "Appearance."

Emperor Wu Shun said with a smile: "Fang Cheng'an's appearance is very famous in Beijing, do you see anyone in my palace who can compare with Fang Cheng'an?"

The Secretary of the Ministry of Justice calmly said: "In troubled times, there may be ups and downs, causing physical damage."

Emperor Wu Shun said: "As Qing said, since the appearance has changed a lot, how can we be sure?"

The Minister of Criminal Affairs said: "Those who have existing evidence can be identified."

Emperor Wu Shun turned his head to stare at Xiao Jing and said, "Zhang Shan came from Prince Jing's mansion, what does Prince Jing think?"

Xiao Jing looked calm, glanced at the important officials in the hall, and said with a sneer: "Since the kings have already discussed it, what else can I say?"

Emperor Wu Shun said coldly: "In that case, let's play."

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ministry of Criminal Justice asked Fang Cheng'an for questioning. Because Sun Zeqian, the commander of the guards, followed him, Fang Cheng'an was only invited to sit in the lobby of the Ministry of Criminal Justice for questioning.

The servant of the Ministry of Punishment is called Jing Xiangchao. This time the Ministry of Punishment has carried this hot potato, and there are many people who support it. He knows that it is difficult and easy to do, and he does not list the testimony of witnesses. He opened his mouth and said: "Zhang Shan, I am asking you. Ze's third son, Fang Cheng'an?"

Fang Chengan replied: "Yes."

Jing Xiangchao hadn't asked a bunch of questions yet, because Fang Cheng'an was dumbfounded by the word.He turned his head and couldn't help looking at Sun Zeqian who was standing at the entrance of the lobby. Mr. Sun had a silent expression on his face, as if he knew Fang Chengan would answer in this way.

Jing Xiangchao said again: "That is Fang Cheng'an, do you know that the court sentenced your Fang clan to beheaded?"

Fang Chengan replied: "I know."

Respecting Chao Leng, he said: "The sinner Fang Cheng'an, his father and brother committed an unforgivable crime in King Gong's treason case, and caused disasters to all three families. Would you like to plead guilty?"

Fang Cheng'an replied, "Plead guilty."

Jing Xiangchao was completely dumbfounded.

But he was the servant of the Ministry of Punishment after all, so he turned to Sun Zeqian and said, "As Sir Sun has seen, Fang Cheng'an has confessed his guilt on his own, and the Ministry of Punishment really cannot let him go. Please also invite Lord Sun to the palace to report to the Emperor."

Sun Zeqian watched Fang Chengan plead guilty, just sighed and shook his head.

Concubine Hua looked at Empress Dowager An trimming the orchid branches and leaves in the small courtyard, and heard Empress Dowager An say: "Even if Cheng An pleaded guilty, how could the emperor just let it go."

Hua Guifei said: "What can the emperor do? Is it so difficult to rehabilitate the Fang family?"

Empress Dowager An said with a smile: "How many people are watching the crime of treason, how can they say that it is not, but seeing that the emperor is so calm, he has an idea."

Concubine Hua's heart twisted, Empress Dowager An turned to look at her, shook her head and said: "You are younger, and you have not experienced those big storms, and you are always impatient in these things."

Concubine Hua Guifei bowed her head and said nothing, Empress Dowager An said: "Just talking about the emperor's attitude towards Fang Cheng'an, and the treatment of Fang Cheng'an after returning to the palace, we know that he is not hiding anything, but seems to be waiting for someone to play the book... If it wasn't for him If you have other plans, is there anyone who can really cure Fang Cheng'an?"

Concubine Hua's complexion changed, Empress Dowager An said with a smile: "You don't have to worry, Cheng An is a solid person. Seeing this situation, he will not submit to the harem and be a concubine or a minister. Now that he has confessed his crime, Your Majesty It doesn't matter if you want to steal someone's life, or you want to pardon his death, if you want to let him live and work in the palace, it will be very difficult. How many people are watching..."

Concubine Hua Gui said: "The queen mother is holy."

Empress Dowager An sighed: "It's just pity Ah Jing, Fang Cheng'an abandoned him back then, but now he is still worrying about him."

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the emperor ordered Prince Jing to co-trial Fang Cheng'an's case.

Prince Jing received the decree, broke into the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and brought Fang Chengan out for questioning.

Fang Chengan's status is special, no one dares to abuse him, it looks better than being in the palace.King Jing asked someone to lift the stool for him, but sat on the main seat and sulked.

After a while, he didn't care about the people from the Ministry of Punishment standing beside him, Fang Cheng'an said: "You said you are very good, you don't need others to worry, so that's how it is?"

Fang Cheng'an said: "Lord Lao is worried."

King Jing said coldly, "What exactly do you want?"

Fang Cheng'an said lightly: "Life and death are fate..."

The adults in the punishment department stood aside and slandered, the prince is not an interrogation, this is clearly speaking.

King Jing lowered his head and snorted coldly: "Fang Cheng'an, it's so hard that you think you can really die after pleading guilty like this?"

Fang Cheng'an said: "The villain never thought about it that way."

King Jing and the people around looked up at him, and Fang Cheng'an said again: "Someone in the Fang family conspired against King Gong back then, and everything was true. But I am the son of the Fang family, why don't I admit it? Live in the world without even recognizing your ancestors?"

King Jing was stunned, and Fang Chengan said again: "As for whether I will die, my lord Mingjian, this is not up to me."

King Jing stared at him for a long time, only now did he feel that the hidden guard hiding in the palace, Zhang Shan who lived in the side hall of Zhengyang Palace had disappeared, and this person was indeed Fang Cheng'an.

King Jing said: "If I sentence you to death, can you blame me?"

Fang Cheng'an lowered his head and smiled, "No complaints."

King Jing gritted his teeth and held back his anger, and said in a low voice, "It's very good, you really have no complaints or regrets..."

Two days later, Fang Cheng'an was tried at the Ministry of Criminal Justice. The minister of the Ministry of Criminal Justice presided over the trial.

Fang Cheng'an's fingerprints and identity evidences involved in the case were carefully compared, and then the servants and relatives of Fang's mansion questioned and testified one by one.

King Jing sat on the back seat of the main seat and watched Fang Chengan kneeling in the hall with his head slightly lowered.

When the questioning was over, Fang Cheng'an raised his hand to sign a pledge, and Sun Zeqian entered from outside the hall and said, "My lord, there are still witnesses who say that there are other secrets in this case."

Jing Xiangchao, the servant of the Ministry of punishment, breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Master Shangshu had no objection, he said, "My lord, please bring witnesses."

An old man came in, with white hair and beard, Fang Chengan knelt sideways, looked at the man entering indifferently, but was stunned, and called out in a low voice: "Master..."

Taoist Wuwei looked at his appearance quietly, and only sighed: "Cheng'an...a teacher shouldn't let you go your own way."

King Jing frowned, seeing the Taoist Wuwei standing in the hall, he asked Chaoji respectfully, "Who is in the hall?"

Wuwei said humanely: "The old way is Wuwei."

"Why don't you kneel?"

"The old Taoist is a Jinshi of the seventh year of Enlightenment, please check it carefully."

Enlightenment is the reign name of the first emperor, after saying this, everyone in the hall was secretly surprised.This Taoist Wuwei looked fifty years away, the first emperor reigned for 27 years, so this Taoist was actually very young when he became a Jinshi.

As long as King Jing didn't ask to kneel, everyone would have nothing to say.Fang Cheng'an had never heard Taoist Wuwei mention his fame, so he looked up at his master.

Taoist Wuwei said again: "The old Taoist was originally named Quxiu. Later, due to the death of his wife and daughter, he returned to my Taoist school. In the 27th year of enlightenment, the old Taoist traveled to Weichuan and collected some medicinal materials in the mountains. Save it."

Hearing this, Xiao Jing stared blankly at Taoist Wuwei, his mind went blank.

Taoist Wuwei continued: "The old Taoist saw that this son was covered in blood, his arms, ribs, ribs, and legs were all broken, and his face and body were covered with knife wounds and arrow wounds. I'm afraid he won't survive. Fortunately, the old Taoist learned With some medical skills, we will try our best to save him."

There was a moment of silence in the hall, Xiao Jingfang gradually clenched his hands into fists, and his voice came out in a deep voice: "You mean the 27th year of enlightenment?"

Wuwei said humanely: "Yes."

"What date?"

"The third day of July"

King Jing asked coldly, "How do you remember so clearly?"

Daoist Wuwei said humanely: "On the sixth day of the seventh month, the king of Qin today denounced the crime of treason to King Gong at Kaifu, and raised troops to surrender. The old Taoist remembers that it was three days ago."

King Jing seemed to have been splashed with a bucket of hot oil, or drenched in icy water. He felt unspeakable discomfort all over his body. He stared at Taoist Wuwei's eyes and turned to Fang Cheng'an. ?”

Fang Chengan was silent, but listened to the Ministry of Punishment Shangshu said: "Taoist Wuwei, you said this paragraph in this court trial, just to let everyone know that Fang Chengan fell off the cliff and suffered an accident that year, and it has nothing to do with his guilt."

Taoist Wuwei cupped his hands and said, "Whether the old Taoists have anything to do with it or not, please ask His Royal Highness King Jing to confirm why Fang Cheng'an died in the deep mountains of Weichuan when King Gong plotted rebellion."

King Jing stared at Fang Cheng'an, and said for a while, "I did escape from Prince Gong's pursuit in the deep mountains of Weichuan back then."

Everyone looked at him, only Fang Chengan lowered his head, as if what he said had nothing to do with him.

King Jing said: "At the end of June of that year, my father was critically ill, and I was serving the sick in the palace. Fang Cheng'an took me out of the palace, and then rushed to Beijing. He fled with his son because he heard that Prince Gong wanted to force the palace to seize the throne."

No one in the hall dared to speak, and King Jing said again: "On the second day of July, we hid in the mountains to avoid the pursuit of King Gong's men and horses. On that day and night, Fang Cheng'an suddenly disappeared. I couldn't wait for him. I thought... He abandoned me."

There was another long silence in the hall, Jing Xiang Chao coughed and said, "Fang Cheng'an, why did you disappear that day and night?"

Fang Cheng'an said: "The villain fell off the cliff."

Jing Xiangchao was taken aback for a moment, and then asked: "You were with King Jing, why did you suddenly fall off the cliff?"

Fang Cheng'an paused for a moment, and said: "The villain left the prince and accidentally fell..." Jing Xiangchao was speechless, and was about to continue asking, when King Jing suddenly shouted: "Enough."

Xiao Jing looked up at Fang Cheng'an, and said: "This person must avoid the important and ignore the trivial, talking nonsense..."

The Shangshu of the Ministry of Criminal Justice frowned deeply, and finally said: "There are other secrets in this case, and the Ministry of Criminal Justice still needs to investigate in detail. Let's stop the trial today..."

In Zhengyang Palace, Xiao Yue was sitting on the couch, flipping through the files in his hand.

Xiao Jing stood upright and lowered his head, and asked in a low voice: "The emperor already knew?"

Xiao Yue put down the dossier and sighed: "If I knew all about it, why would he be allowed to live outside and suffer?"

Xiao Jing said angrily: "You must have kept some things from me."

Xiao Yue looked up at the row of bright lights beside the couch, and said mockingly: "Ah Jing, I got the news at that time, I personally went into the deep mountains of Weichuan to search for your whereabouts, and led people to search the whole mountain, but there was no trace of him I guess, he was taken away by the Gong party... You know, because I married Yuan Jun as my concubine, Xiao Mingzhao refused to give up, and put his idea on Cheng An? Fang Youting regarded his third brother as a pawn , if Cheng An falls into Xiao Mingzhao's hands, what will happen?"

Xiao Jing said in a low voice: "So...you want me to believe that Fang Cheng'an finally betrayed me?"

Xiao Yue stared at him for a long time, then said indifferently: "If he really betrayed you, wouldn't it be a good thing?"

Xiao Jing was frozen by these words for a moment, Xiao Yue seemed to be talking to himself: "I wish he really escaped from birth at that time, but because his father and brother were traitors and refused to follow us to fight against our family, that's why he left .It wasn't until you found out that he was a secret guard in your mansion for a few years. I didn't realize that we were all wrong..."

It was as if a steel string broke in Xiao Jing's mind, and he was so shocked that he didn't want to hear it and didn't dare to think about it for a while, and his limbs and bones ached.

Xiao Yue sighed again: "The so-called sky net is restored, it is sparse but not lost. You and I hurt him back then, now, let him be fair."