The return of the son-in-law

Before Li Shaojun entered the hall, he heard Li Chonghao's hearty laughter from inside.He glanced at the inner eunuch on the side, who lowered his head and said in a low voice, "The emperor didn't believe it at first, but the king of Liang showed the emperor the four-clawed dragon jade pendant on that person, and the emperor was overjoyed when he saw it. That's it."

Li Shaojun became suspicious—this four-clawed dragon jade pendant was carved by a special jade craftsman after the prince was born. As the youngest son of the former emperor, King Liang should have one in his hand. Clawed dragon jade pendant given to the "six princes"?

The situation no longer allowed him to think too much outside the hall, so Li Shaojun could only temporarily suppress the incomprehension and doubt in his heart, and entered the hall with Ah Xin and others behind him.

In the hall, I saw Li Chonghao sitting on the main seat, and on the left stood a young and strange young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in the clothes of a prince, and there was a jade pendant hanging on his waist. Look carefully at the pattern on it, it is just right It looks like a four-clawed dragon soaring among the clouds.

This person is the "Sixth Prince Li Shaoyu" that King Liang found in the Liu Mansion.

Li Shaojun saw it in his eyes, but he didn't show it on his face, but came forward to greet Li Chonghao with a smile: "Why is Father so happy today, why don't you tell me to make me happy too."

It was rare for Li Chonghao to be kind to him, pointing to the young man beside him and said: "You came just in time, and I was thinking of asking someone to invite you to come, so that you two brothers can get to know each other earlier."

Li Shaojun was taken aback, and asked, "What brother?" He then turned his gaze to the young man, looked him up and down for a while, and then said with a smile, "Could this be the son of King Liang? He really is a good-looking talent."

Li Chonghao laughed loudly after hearing this: "Yu'er, show your imperial brother your jade pendant."

The young man responded, took off the jade pendant hanging around his waist, and presented it with both hands.

Li Shaojun took the jade pendant, rubbed it with his right hand for a while, then weighed it lightly, and found that this jade pendant was no different from the one he had worn all year round.

But the jade pendant that Huo Yu had been wearing was no different from his. He only had one younger brother, so how could there be two identical jade pendants?

Li Chonghao didn't know that Li Shaojun was stunned because too many thoughts popped into his mind at once, and thought that he was too excited to see his younger brother who disappeared more than ten years ago, and he didn't know what to do for a while.

He smiled and said, "Jun'er, your younger brother has been missing for more than ten years, and now once he enters the palace, father, son, and brother will meet again, so don't just stand there silent."

Li Shaojun smiled and said: "I made my father laugh, really... I was really excited for a while, and I didn't know what to do."

Li Chonghao nodded in satisfaction and said, "You have to thank Uncle Nine Emperors for this matter. Thanks to him this time, Yu'er was able to be rescued from the Liu Mansion."

King Liang is the ninth oldest among the brothers, and the "Uncle Nine Emperors" that Li Chonghao said refers to King Liang who is standing on his right hand right now.

King Liang said at the right time: "I didn't greet Your Majesty before, but I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Li Shaojun quickly stretched out his hand to support Liang Wang's arm, and said: "Why is Uncle Nine Emperors so polite, but I just heard from my father that Yu'er was found in the Liu Mansion?"

Liang Wang looked at Li Chonghao, seeing the latter nodding, he began to explain: "Today, Guo Qing and I went to the Liu Mansion to supervise the search of the house, and found a hidden house in a corner of the Liu Mansion, which was still locked. .Because the Liu Mansion ransacked the house for many days and no one was guarding the house, I ordered someone to break the lock. After entering the house, I found that there was a person inside. Hit me. In the end, I caught it and saw that it was a four-clawed dragon jade pendant! People of this age actually have a four-clawed dragon jade pendant. I thought, only the sixth prince back then? In the end, the chief steward of the Liu Mansion told the truth. It turned out that after the Sixth Prince disappeared, he was brought back to the Liu Mansion by Liu Yuanheng and kept in that house, and ordinary people couldn't even see his face."

"Presumptuous!" Even though he had heard it once, Li Chonghao couldn't help the anger in his heart when he heard that Liu Yuanheng imprisoned his beloved son in the room like a prisoner, and slapped the table heavily.

"Liu Yuanheng is so bold! I should have beaten him to ashes in the first place, so that I can vent my anger on my son!"

Li Shaojun just watched Li Chonghao's acting from the sidelines, and didn't even bother to cooperate with him and say some comforting words.

On the other hand, "Li Shaoyu", who was silent all the time, comforted Li Chonghao: "Why should my father be angry with a dead man? I have already returned, and that is enough."

After hearing this, Li Shaojun looked at the young man, and said with a smile: "Sixth brother speaks the Beijing dialect really well."

"Li Shaoyu" said with a smile: "Thank you for the compliment, Brother Huang. I have been locked up in the courtyard of the Liu Mansion since I was a child. Didn't I just learn the Beijing dialect?"

Li Shaojun smiled and stopped talking.

Seeing that the topic of these people was getting farther and farther, King Liang continued to explain: "I saw that the four-clawed dragon jade pendant was exactly the same as the one I was wearing, so I brought the sixth prince back to the palace. Brother, Your Majesty, please Look at my four-clawed dragon jade pendant."

As he spoke, King Liang took off the four-clawed dragon jade pendant he had been wearing all the time, and handed it to everyone.

Seeing two four-clawed dragon jade pendants appearing at the same time, Li Shaojun knew that his previous guess had been overturned.

When Li Chonghao saw him, he couldn't help but got up and took "Li Shaoyu" into his arms, patted his back, and said with a sob: "Good boy, my good Yuer, you have been wronged all these years."

"Li Shaoyu" also held back tears, and said in a crying voice: "Father, my son is not bitter, and my son has never been filial to my father for so many years."

Li Chonghao was greatly moved, turned his head and said to Li Shaojun: "Your younger brother has suffered a lot in the past ten years, you must make it up to him."

Li Shaojun nodded and said: "Father, don't worry, my son will definitely not spare those people."

Li Chonghao let go of "Li Shaoyu" and let out a long sigh: "Unfortunately, Liu Yuanheng and Liu Wenhua are already dead."

Li Shaojun reminded: "Father, neither Liu Yuanheng nor Liu Wenhua and his son accompanied him that day, so who stole the sixth brother and gave it to Liu Yuanheng?"

Li Chonghao's body shook, his eyes rolled around in their sockets a few times, and he asked the eunuch beside him, "Where is Li Bo, the common man?"

The eunuch replied: "A few days ago, the common man Li Bo was expelled from the palace, and I heard that he was resettled in the gourd alley. The emperor wants to summon the common man Li Bo?"

"Xuanshu's Li Bo enters the palace, and then invites Liu Taichang over!"

"Yes."

Because she lives in the palace, Liu Taichang will arrive soon.She thought that the Supreme Emperor was thinking about the old love, and Xuan her came to relive the old dream, but overjoyed, she ignored the serious face and cold voice of Xuan her inner eunuch.

In order to leave a good impression on the emperor, Liu Taichang straightened her temples before entering the hall, and then entered the hall gracefully.

Just seeing Li Chonghao standing beside the emperor, Liang Wang, and a strange face dressed in the prince's clothes, Liu Taichang knew that the emperor didn't want to relive old dreams with her even if he was no brainer.

Since it's not about revisiting old dreams, why announce her at this time?

With a restless heart, Liu Taichang saluted the three present.

In the end, Li Chonghao didn't call her out immediately, but asked, "Taichang Liu is here, do you know this young man?"

Liu Taichang took a closer look at this person's appearance, and replied with a smile: "Could it be the young prince of Liang Wang's family? It looks familiar."

Li Chonghao sneered: "Familiar? I'm afraid it's because this child looks like me! Do you still remember that I also have a son of this age?"

Liu Taichang was shocked when he heard the last sentence: "How can the concubine not understand what the emperor is saying? There are only the sixth princes at such an age. But the sixth prince was killed by his side on the southern tour. The nurse was smothered to death with a pillow, and her body was thrown away, so it can't be the sixth prince, right?"

King Liang said, "Thank you Taichang Liu for your praise, but how could such an outstanding young man be my son? You guessed right, this is the sixth prince who disappeared back then."

Liu Taichang almost couldn't kneel anymore, he shook his body, and exclaimed: "Don't scare people, King Liang! The sixth prince is obviously dead, how could he jump out at this time? Your Majesty, don't be fooled by thieves!"

Li Chonghao sneered and said: "How do you know that this is a thief? Could it be that you saw my son die with your own eyes? Well, let you die clearly, come and show Liu Taichang the four-clawed dragon jade pendant. "

An inner eunuch stepped forward, took the four-clawed dragon jade pendant from "Li Shaoyu", walked to Liu Taichang's side, and handed it to her.

Liu Taichang naturally knew the four-clawed dragon jade pendant, and passed out after just one glance.

Li Chonghao ordered the inner prisoner without any pity: "Drag the person down, wake him up with cold water, and bring him up again."

When Liu Taichang came up again, she had already regained her composure.She quietly bowed to the four people again, and after receiving Li Chonghao's response, she stood in the last position with her head lowered, so that no one could see her face clearly.

In less than an hour, Li Bo, the original fourth prince and now a commoner, entered the palace.He was dressed in a water-blue long gown, with a sick look on his face, when he saw Li Chonghao and others, he knelt down and said: "Common man Li Bo pays respects to the Emperor, His Majesty, King Liang, and Taichang Liu."

Li Chonghao saw that his beloved son was so frustrated now, he didn't show any pity in his eyes, and he didn't wake him up, but made Li Bo kneel there all the time.

Li Shaojun had always been at odds with Li Bo, so naturally he didn't speak.On the other side, King Liang seemed to notice Li Shaojun's gaze, and smiled back without saying a word.

Li Chonghao repeated what he asked Liu Taichangzai earlier: "Li Bo, look at this young man, do you know him?"

Li Bo looked at him suspiciously for a long time, then shook his head and said, "Forgive me, the emperor, the common man Li Bo really doesn't know this person?"

"Oh?" Li Chonghao laughed back angrily, "This is your half brother, don't you know him?"

Li Bo was taken aback, and asked: "Common Li Bo's brothers were all in the palace back then, there really isn't one at this age."

"It's not that he didn't, but you thought he was dead?" Li Chonghao asked with a long voice.

When Li Bo heard this, his pupils shrank suddenly, and he said in a trembling voice, "No, it's impossible, Li Shaoyu, Li Shaoyu is already dead!"

Li Chonghao slapped the table heavily with one hand: "Bold! When Liu Yuanheng brought Yu'er back to the Liu Mansion and kept him locked in a room, he suffered a lot! The big housekeepers of the Liu Mansion have already explained, You can't help denying it! Liu Yuanheng, who was on the Southern Tour back then, didn't follow, who do you think handed Yu'er over to him?"

Li Bo opened his eyes wide and asked, "Does the Emperor doubt me?"

"Suspicion? I think it's you and your mother. In the southern tour team, you two are the only ones who have relations with the Liu family."

Li Bo argued: "My lord, the commoner Li Bo was only a child of seven or eight years old, how could he do such a thing? As for the commoner Li Bo's mother, she is a girl, how can there be such a thing?" Where's the guts?"

Li Chonghao was at a loss for words for a while, but the King of Liang who was next to him picked up and said, "Common man Li Bo and Liu Taichang have already recruited all of them, why do you deny it?"

Liu Taichang heard the words, and immediately said: "Liang Wang is careful! This palace has never said that Jin'er and I killed the sixth prince!"

King Liang took a look at Liu Taichang, said with a smile: "Liu Taichang is careful about his words, now there is no fourth prince Li Shaojin." He also made a silent gesture.

Liu Taichang moved his throat a few times, but finally did not speak, but shook his right hand hanging by his side, implying that Li Bo himself did not confess.

Li Bo has sharp eyes, and he and Liu Taichang are in the mother-child relationship. Seeing Liu Taichang's little actions, he felt a little more confident, and said: "The emperor, your majesty, the king of Liang, the common man Li Bo has never done such a murder of the prince. As for the matter, I would like to ask the three enlightened ones to restore my innocence to Liu Taichang and me.”

Li Shaojun looked at King Liang, and suddenly asked, "Can King Liang have a solution?"

Liang Wang shook his head: "Your Majesty forgives the crime, and I have nothing to do."

After hearing this, Li Shaojun looked at Li Chonghao: "Father, since King Liang has no choice, why don't you leave this matter to your son?"

Li Shaoyu is Li Shaojun's younger brother. Li Shaoyu's disappearance was the most worrying thing before his death. It would be best to leave this matter to him.Thinking of this, Li Chonghao nodded and said: "Forget it, I will leave this matter to you to investigate. You don't have to worry about government affairs, I will watch for you, you must investigate and find out!"

Seeing that Li Chonghao took the opportunity to push himself out of the decision-making center, Li Shaojun couldn't help hesitating.

Just as he was weighing, King Liang suddenly took the initiative to ask Ying: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has a lot of things to do every day. Why don't you leave this matter to me? As a royal family, I must do my part for the royal family."

Li Shaojun was overjoyed when he heard the words, and said: "Thank you, Uncle Huang. Since this is the case, I will ask the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, Zuo Xingzhi, to assist Uncle Huang in the investigation. But if you need anything, just ask, and you don't have to be polite to me."

Li Chonghao coughed heavily, and scolded: "You really don't want brothers after becoming an emperor? Don't you find it strange that Yu'er has been missing for more than ten years and was found in the Liu Mansion? Yu'er has suffered so much , you don’t personally investigate how Yu’er was taken away by Liu Yuanheng, and you still think about rights, are you still human?”

Li Shaojun bowed bluntly: "Father calm down, Yu'er finally came back, so my son is naturally happy. The thief who took him away back then, my son will definitely not let go! It's just that the capital was in chaos a few days ago, and now everything is gone. , as well as the matter of the imperial examination, the autumn has already started, and next year's spring will also be prepared. The son is really at a loss. Moreover, the disappearance of Yu'er is related to the Liu family, which involves Liu Taichang's relationship with the commoner Li Bo, and indirectly harmed After his death, if his son intervenes in this matter, there is no guarantee that people will not be left to talk about it. As a member of the royal family, Uncle Nine Emperors, it is best to investigate this matter. In addition, there is Zuo Xingzhi to assist, I believe the matter The truth will definitely come to light as soon as possible.”

Li Chonghao frowned, unmoved.

At this time, "Li Shaoyu" who had been silent at the side suddenly said: "Father, brother is the emperor, sitting in the world, and taking care of everything. The emperor should put the people first. Isn't it just right to entrust my affairs to Uncle Jiuhuang for investigation? "

Li Chonghao looked at "Li Shaoyu" and asked, "You really think so?"

"Li Shaoyu" nodded with a smile: "Reporting to Father, my son really thinks so."

Li Chonghao laughed loudly: "Okay, good son, you are indeed my good son, you are much more considerate and sensible than your brother! If this is the case, why is King Liang still not accepting the order?"

Coming out of Li Chonghao's palace, Li Shaojun's face darkened, and he ordered the eunuch at the side: "Shangshu Zuo Xingzhi of the Xuanxing Department will see you."

Seeing that Li Shaojun looked unhappy, Ah Xin didn't dare to say anything more, helped Li Shaojun onto the dragon chariot, and followed him back to the study where Li Shaojun usually discusses matters.

After entering the study, Ah Xin called the maid to wait for Li Shaojun to wipe his face and wash his hands.Li Shaojun simply changed his clothes, sat down and took a sip of tea, and heaved a sigh of relief.

While grinding ink, Ah Xin asked, "Your Majesty, is that man really the sixth prince?"

Li Shaojun shook his head wearily: "That person is fake."

"Fake?" Ah Xin was taken aback, "Then, isn't this a crime of deceiving the emperor? And that person has a four-clawed dragon jade pendant, isn't this only for princes?"

"The jade pendant is just a dead thing, as long as there is a way, you can get a piece out." Li Shaojun took another sip of tea, "What's more, there are too many suspicious points on this person."

Ah Xin was even more puzzled: "Excuse me for being stupid, I really didn't see any flaws. I followed His Majesty and dared to look at the four-clawed dragon jade pendant. It was nothing like what His Majesty has been carrying for so many years. the difference."

Li Shaojun laughed and said: "When you saw the four-clawed dragon jade pendant, you already subconsciously regarded him as a prince. Naturally, you can't see any flaws. Let me ask you, a child has been locked up since he was two or three years old. In the same room, there is little contact with people in normal times, and it has been like this for more than ten years, and suddenly there is chaos outside, and this child is suddenly taken into a strange place by a stranger, if it were you, what would you do?"

Ah Xin thought about it carefully, and replied: "Ah Xin must be too scared to move."

"But look at the performance of that person today. Every time I had a conflict with the emperor, he would jump out to smooth things over, saying that it was one set after another. This kind of eyesight and eloquence is a person who has never been with me since childhood. Is there something that people in contact with should have?"

Ah Xin's face was very ugly: "Then this person... is a fake? But, but that jade pendant, that jade pendant is worthy of a prince?"

Li Shaojun sneered and said: "So, the water here is very deep. The sixth prince, the four-clawed dragon jade pendant, Liufu, my Ninth Emperor Uncle, I'm afraid I can't bear it."

At this moment in the Guo Mansion, a disheveled man rushed to the corner gate, said a few words to the gatekeeper, then wiped his face with his hand before entering the mansion.

When they arrived at Guo Zhanan's yard, the man did the same thing again. Halfway into the yard, he ran into Jia Huan who had rushed over after getting the news.

"Fuquan, why did you become like this? Where's the second young master?"

Fuquan replied hoarsely: "Don't ask, where is the young master?"

"The young master has been busy copying Liu's house for the past few days, and he hasn't come back yet."

"Please come back, young master, I, I have something important to do!"

"What's important?" Jia Huan looked at Fuquan suspiciously, "Didn't you follow the Second Young Master to Yong'an Mansion more than 20 days ago? Why are you back now?"

Fuquan suddenly burst into tears, and while wiping his tears, he said: "Don't mention it, we were traveling by water, but our boat sank before reaching Yong'an Mansion! The second young master, the second young master, he, he is dead!"

Jia Huan gasped when he heard the words, and cursed: "Are you out of your mind! Is there anyone who talks like that?"

Fuquan cried and took out a safety buckle from his arms: "I also hope that my brain is broken, but look, this is what the second young master has been wearing all the time!"

Knowing that the matter was serious, Jia Huan sent someone to report the news to Guo Zhanan, and repeatedly told the person not to tell Guo Zhanan the bad news directly. At the same time, ignoring the stink from Fuquan's body, he grabbed Fuquan's wrist and shouted: "Don't give up! Crying! You explain this to me clearly!"