Placid Chang'an

The carriage passed by on the bluestone road, but the interior of the carriage was surprisingly quiet. Su Cen opened his mouth to Zheng Yang, and it took him a while to find his own voice.

"What did you say?" The voice trembled slightly, and even with all his strength, he still couldn't suppress the trembling inside.

"Feng Yiming is dead." Zheng Yang pursed his lips and repeated it again.

"...How did you die?"

"It is said that there was a thieves at home, and he was stabbed in the vitals during the fight with the thieves." Zheng Yang clenched his fists hard, his knuckles turned white and abrupt, "but anyone with a discerning eye can see that what kind of thieves must have been killed by Li. Among the people Sheng sent, Brother Feng helped my uncle handle government affairs this year, and several of Li Sheng's subordinates fell under his hands, and now as soon as he saw my uncle lose power, Li Sheng immediately attacked Brother Feng."

Su Cen suddenly remembered the chance encounter outside Yangzhou City, and did not expect that Feng Yiming's words would become a prophecy, and that would really be the last time he and Feng Yiming saw each other.

He was originally from a secret door, and he helped Li Shi fight against the secret door many times, so Li Sheng would not let him go.He had known for a long time that his trip might not be a good one, but he still rushed there without hesitation, without hesitation.

"When did this happen?"

"Just two days ago." Zheng Yang said softly, "The funeral should be tomorrow."

Just two days away.

Full of anger and deep sorrow collided with each other, and the knuckles were clenched, but in the end, he could only say: "Wait until tomorrow, we will send Brother Feng off."

The carriage finally stopped outside the Nine Immortals Gate and entered the inner court via the Hanlin Academy. Firstly, it could avoid many institutions of the outer court, and secondly, it could avoid people's eyes and ears.

When I got off the car, it was completely dark, and the lanterns outside the palace gate were just lit up, like daylight.While Zheng Yang was negotiating with the guards guarding the gate, Su Cen stood outside the palace gate and looked up. When he came back here after a year, he felt that things were different.

The city wall seems to be getting higher and higher, and the palace gate is getting thicker and thicker, tightly closed, revealing a sense of repelling people thousands of miles away, and even the palace lanterns on the city wall reflect coldness and alienation.The Chang'an city in his dream didn't look like this.

Su Cen looked away, unable to bear to look any further.

After waiting for a while, there was still no movement, and he stepped forward to realize that Zheng Yang's human-shaped token was not working. The two were stopped outside the palace gate, and a group of guards who were watching the night were alarmed. The two sides confronted each other, and almost quarreled.

Zheng Yang raised his eyebrows at the guard blocking the way, "Do you know who I am?"

The leader of the group of guards saluted respectfully, "Your Majesty respects you, the young ones will naturally recognize it."

Zheng Yang pulled Su Cen forward a few steps, "If you recognize him, don't get lost."

Unexpectedly, this group of guards would not give an inch, "The prince has an order that no one else can enter the forbidden area of ​​the palace, please forgive me."

After Li Shi's accident, Li Sheng took the opportunity to take over the Forbidden Army, and replaced the previous guards with his own people, so it was obvious who the prince they were talking about was naturally obvious.

"What do you mean by idlers?!" Zheng Yang was furious, "How dare you say that I am an idler?!"

It wasn't until Su Cen pulled Zheng Yang behind him that he came back to his senses. He was not an idler waiting, but there was another idler waiting behind him.

The leader of the guards also laughed, "The prince wants to enter the palace, of course the younger ones will not rush to stop him, but this one may not be able to enter the palace gate."

Zheng Yang frowned, he didn't expect such a small gate to be guarded so strictly, he had no choice but to move out the holy driver: "Su Cen was summoned into the palace by His Majesty."

"Then please show us His Majesty's edict."

Zheng Yang was furious, and pulled Su Cen to rush in, "It's just a group of watchdogs, and they really take themselves as a character."

The sword came out of its sheath with a clang, and the cold light was icy in the cold wind. The group of guards refused to give in at all, and turned their swords toward each other: "Whoever trespasses the palace gate will be killed without mercy."

Su Cen's eyes gradually turned cold. Back then, Zheng Yang was able to move freely in the inner garden of the palace just by memorizing his genealogy. Now that time has passed, the palace is like a big icehouse, and it really has no human touch at all.

During the stalemate, a voice of an underdeveloped boy suddenly sounded from the palace gate, "Su Cen was sent by me."

The palace gate was wide open, and everyone looked over in unison upon hearing the sound.

Su Cen knelt down with the crowd, "The grassroots Su Cen has seen His Majesty."

The little emperor looked at the kneeling person in front of him, his eyes gradually softened, "Let's get flat."

Su Cen then stood up and had a chance to take a good look at the little emperor.Compared with a year ago, he has grown a lot taller, and his chubby little face has already shown the outline of a young man. Now he is standing upright at the palace gate, and there is a bit of Li Shi's shadow between his eyebrows and eyes. .

"Okay, you all step back," the little emperor waved his hand, "Su Cen is coming with me."

Su Cen finally entered the door without any risk. Zheng Yang swept away the shame in front of him, swung his chin at the guards arrogantly, and followed them with big strides.

When the people behind him could no longer be seen, the little emperor suddenly raised his head and smiled at Su Cen, "I knew you would definitely come."

Su Cen cupped his hands, "Your Majesty is wise."

The little emperor continued: "I haven't seen you in the hall for a long time, and I still miss you."

Su Cen pursed her lips, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, don't you blame me for being too impulsive and bringing disaster to Da Zhou?"

"The emperor's uncle has always taught me to distinguish between things and tell right from wrong. If I don't even know right from wrong, wouldn't I be ashamed of the emperor's teaching." Uncle now..."

Su Cen was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was low but firm, "I came back this time to find out the truth and return the prince's innocence."

The little emperor nodded, "When it comes to investigating cases, I only trust you."

After all, it was just some irrelevant words, the little emperor walked in front, and said silently: "The mother's health has not been very good in the past year, and the emperor's uncle and elder brother Yang have been busy with government affairs, and no one has talked with me for a long time. I still think that you made up the case and told me a story back then, which was different from what those old Confucians told me. At that time, I really thought about arresting you as a servant, but the emperor said you were a pillar , can play a greater role elsewhere.”

Su Cen pinched a finger bone lightly, his thoughts drifted away.On the Suzhou side, he finally remembered the first acquaintance of the two of them, and he understood a lot of things. It is impossible for Li Shi to refute his title of No. He, he has been so hostile to Li Shicun only because he was provoked and deliberately misled by others.

But after going around, he still stood next to Li Shi. It was a mutual acquaintance and cherishment in his bones, and no one could stop him.

He was walking unhurriedly, but saw the little emperor suddenly stop, and then looked up, and saw Li Sheng walking towards him, with eyes like ink, sizing him up with interest.

Walking closer, Zheng Yang reluctantly asked "My lord Wanan", the little emperor stood still for a moment, and called "Uncle Emperor", Li Sheng nodded his head lightly, his eyes continued to wander unscrupulously on Su Cen .

After a while, Li Sheng suddenly raised his lips and smiled, "Master Su is still as handsome as ever."

Su Cen looked back at each other coldly, "I'm no longer an adult."

The smile on Li Sheng's face remained undiminished, "Since you know your identity, what are you doing here?"

"I asked him to come," the little emperor said, "The matter of the emperor's uncle is of great importance. I don't feel at ease if others come to investigate. Su Cen has repeatedly solved strange cases before, and I want to appoint him to thoroughly investigate this matter." .”

Li Sheng lowered his eyes and looked at the little emperor, "Don't forget, at the beginning it was clearly stated that Su Cen would never be hired, so you are not joking."

The little emperor pursed his lips tightly. At that time, the court situation was in chaos, and there were many things to say in the court hall every day. He accidentally got mixed up by Li Sheng. He wanted to go back on his word afterwards, but the decree had already been made, and he couldn't get it back. up.

"I don't need an official position." Su Cen raised his head and said word by word, "As long as I can freely go in and out of various scenes, I can check without an official position."

There was a moment of silence around, Zheng Yang came back to his senses and hurriedly tugged on Su Cen's sleeve, the meaning was very clear: Now that he finally has a little emperor to make decisions for him, he should seize the opportunity so that he can return to official career in the future, Doesn't he waste this great opportunity by saying that he doesn't want an official position.

Li Sheng raised his eyebrows slightly at Su Cen, "Interesting."

But then turned around: "But everyone knows that Mr. Su has a very close relationship with the criminal, so it's not appropriate for you to investigate this case?"

Zheng Yang gritted his teeth bitterly, "Little uncle is not the criminal!"

Su Cen didn't care about Li Sheng's provocative methods, and counterattacked in his own way: "Everyone knows that there is a rift between you and the prince. I'm afraid the person you recruited is not reliable, right?"

Li Sheng smiled, "Since they can't be investigated, then why don't investigate, anyway, the witnesses and physical evidence are all complete, so let's just execute them."

"Is an old eunuch who appeared out of nowhere counted as a witness? There is also physical evidence, where did it come from? Does it stand up to scrutiny?" Su Cen said righteously, "The prince is the prince regent appointed by the late emperor, the prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How can the righteous prince be so perfunctory?!"

Li Sheng's gaze sank, Su Cen was insinuating that his throne was not justified.

"I said, let Su Cen check it!" The little emperor suddenly interrupted when the atmosphere was deadlocked, "I don't believe anyone else's checking."

Li Sheng stopped his movements and turned around to take a serious look at the little emperor, those eyes were pondering and examining, like wolves.

The little emperor bit the bullet and looked at each other, but his clenched fists still revealed the instinctive nervousness of his body.

Li Sheng suddenly smiled meaningfully, "Okay, since His Majesty has an order, let's check."

Turning the topic around, he continued: "But you can't go on endlessly, right? If he checked for a year or two, wouldn't Da Zhou also wait with him for a year or two?"

Su Cen bit his lips lightly and thought about it. Li Sheng was forcing the little emperor to make an order. If he couldn't produce evidence to prove the prince's innocence, Li Sheng would deal with it logically.

"Give me a month."

"One month is too long," Li Sheng shook his head lightly, "Then the end of the year is the limit. If you still can't produce evidence at the court meeting on the first day of junior high school, then use Li Shi as a righteous law."