Yangyue

Henry Zhang stepped out of the imperial prison, rode on his horse, and headed towards the imperial study room under the leadership of the guards. Duan Rufeng rode beside him on horseback. He saw Henry Zhang holding his sword tightly with his fingers, his fingertips turned white, his wrist There are blue veins in the middle, and it seems that he is trying his best to endure the anger.

"Lord Pavilion Master has always been on good terms with Lord Hou." Duan Rufeng said quietly, "But now Lord Hou's status is different from that of the past. Without the emperor's order, it is better for Lord Master not to come to prison without authorization."

Henry Zhang said coldly: "What I do has nothing to do with Zuo Tongzhi."

Duan Rufeng didn't speak any more, and remained silent all the way.

When Xiao Yangyue came to the imperial study, the emperor was sitting behind the imperial case reviewing the memorial. After Xiao Yangyue came in, the emperor bowed his head and said: "Xiao Aiqing, grind ink for me."

Henry Zhang handed the sword in his hand to the eunuch on the side, walked to the table, picked up the grinding block on the table, poured a few drops of water into the inkstone, and started to grind slowly.

After a while, the emperor said: "Do you know why I summoned you now?"

Henry Zhang: "I know."

The emperor raised his head, looked directly at him, and said in a deep voice, "You are so courageous."

Henry Zhang stopped grinding the ink in his hands, lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, and said quietly: "I am guilty."

"You already knew about Marquis Xiankun's martial arts skills, why didn't you report it to me?"

"I want to investigate this matter and report it to the emperor after the truth is revealed."

"I don't know, should I tell you when it's up to you to decide." The emperor looked down at him condescendingly, the emperor was not happy, and he couldn't see the anger, "It's because I indulged you too much."

Xiao Yangyue lowered her eyes and said: "The minister is guilty, please appease the emperor."

"Since you said that day that you wanted to investigate the case of the missing son of the Marquis Mansion, then I will wait for you to find out the truth, and let's not pursue the matter of Marquis Xiankun's martial arts skills." Killing the suspect, just these two, is an unforgivable crime."

Henry Zhang was silent for a moment, and replied: "The emperor is wise."

"Why, don't you plead for him?"

"I know that the emperor will not kill him for the time being." Henry Zhang said, "The emperor only removed his official position, and did not cut off his title."

In the oral order issued by the emperor, Qi Zhu was only listed on the charges of deceiving the emperor and murdering the emperor, and did not accuse him of the crime of colluding with the martial arts and the chaos party and intending to poison the emperor that the cook said.These two are already the crimes of killing the nine clans, so there is still room for change.

The emperor chuckled: "You are very smart."

Henry Zhang was silent for a moment, and said again: "Your Majesty, what happened just now in the Criminal Division, I think it is still doubtful."

"Say."

"If the cook wanted to confess to Lord Hou because he didn't keep his promise, he could have confessed when he was imprisoned in the Criminal Division, and he didn't have to be punished." Henry Zhangyue said, "He insisted on receiving the severe punishment, but waited until Lord Hou It is puzzling that the decision to confess was made when it appeared."

"Then do you think that Marquis Xian Kun was framed?"

"Yes."

"Then who would want to frame him?" The emperor said, "Even if they want to frame him, it means that he must be involved in this matter."

"I will try my best to find out."

"I have ordered the guards to search the Hou's mansion." The emperor said, "You and I will wait here together, and then grind the ink."

Henry Zhang stood up from the ground and picked up the ink stick again.

The fragrant ink stick was ground in the inkstone for more than an hour, and the palace talents outside the imperial study door knocked on the door.The eunuch Zhou who was standing by the side immediately walked to the door, opened the door a gap, and received a secret letter stamped with the official seal of the guard, and presented it to the emperor with both hands.

The emperor put down the ink pen in his hand and unfolded the letter paper.

Henry Zhang looked up at the emperor, and unconsciously stopped grinding the ink.

After reading the secret letter, the emperor threw the letter face down aside, and said to Eunuch Zhou: "Bring the jade scroll of imperial decree."

"Yes."

The eunuch Zhou quickly sent a roll of bright yellow brocade and auspicious cloud jade scroll, and handed the ink pen specially used for writing imperial edicts to the emperor. Chasing, concocting poison, practicing witchcraft, buying off the imperial cook in the palace, murdering the emperor, and getting the stolen goods; also deceiving the emperor, killing witnesses before the crime, the crime is added to the crime; now his title will be reduced, his home will be confiscated, and he will be punished immediately. Criminal interrogation; after five days, the Qi family, all adult men and women will be killed, and the rest will not be enslaved, exiled to Xiyi, and will never be allowed to enter Beijing."

After writing the imperial decree, the emperor put down the pen, Henry Zhang was stunned in place, not even aware that his cuffs were soaked by the black ink in the inkstone, he lost his voice: "The emperor..."

The emperor threw the guard's letter on the ground, and said coldly, "Look for yourself."

Xiao Yangyue picked up the letter paper on the ground, and the gate guard had found a medicine cup containing poison, several boxes of unknown pills, and several prescriptions of poisonous herbs in Xiankunhou's mansion.Among them, those poisons have been tested, and they are indeed shell bugs that poisoned Jingbi.

Henry Zhang crumpled the letter paper in his hand suddenly, his fingers trembled a little.

"You are a subject of the institution directly under me. I trust you more than others. Don't let me down." The emperor interrupted, "There are guards in charge of interrogation at the imperial prison, so you don't have to go."

"Your Majesty, the punishment in prison is extremely severe, Lord Marquis..."

"Duckweed Pavilion is not allowed to interfere with the interrogation in the Imperial Prison." The emperor said expressionlessly, "If you interfere, you will be charged with a higher crime. Just shut your doors and think about it. You don't have to come to the court for a few days."

The word "no interference" was like a thunderbolt splitting the air, making Henry Zhang's whole body gradually turn cold.

The emperor handed over the imperial decree to the eunuch beside him, and asked him to hand it over to Zuo Tongzhi, the dry gate guard, and ordered him to go to the prison to deliver the imperial decree immediately.

The imperial study room was brightly lit, and Henry Zhang stared at the bright yellow majestic back in front of him, standing still on the spot.

The emperor: "I will let you go down."

Xiao Yangyue lowered her eyes and said quietly: "I implore the emperor to take back the will. Marquis Xiankun was a marquis who was awarded by the late emperor when he was in power. Now the truth has not been found out. The emperor ordered to copy and beheaded. I am afraid that the court officials will talk about it. dangerous."

The emperor was silent for a while, and the eunuch Zhou beside him turned pale with fright, and stood aside holding the imperial edict.The emperor turned his head to look at him, and said coldly, "Why don't you go soon?"

Henry Zhang: "Your Majesty!"

Eunuch Zhou didn't dare to stay any longer, so he quickly agreed, took the imperial edict out of the imperial study room, and handed it to Duan Rufeng who was guarding outside the door.Duan Rufeng spread out the imperial decree and took a look. Dang even was taken aback. He looked up at Eunuch Zhou, who sighed slightly and nodded.

Duan Rufeng could only keep the imperial decree in his sleeve, leave the palace, mount his horse and go to the prison.

In the imperial study room, the emperor looked at Henry Zhang who was kneeling on the ground, and sneered: "When did you learn the tone of a civil servant?"

Henry Zhang heard the sound of Duan Rufeng's horseshoes going away, the sound of horseshoes crushed the tough and cold body in his heart, he knew that he was questioning the imperial order and doing unreasonable and stupid things, but he just Lowering his head, he said in a hoarse voice: "Chen... I implore the emperor to take it back..."

"If you plead for him again, I will kill him immediately."

There seemed to be something sharp in Henry Zhangyue's chest, which made him breathless and painful.He no longer begged for mercy, but said in a low voice that the minister would leave, slowly stood up from the ground, took the sword handed by the eunuch, and left the imperial study.

Henry Zhang stood by the steps for a long time before his eyes gradually recovered. He stepped on the horse, flicked the rein vigorously, and galloped away in the dense night.

A horse galloped from another direction at a high speed, and the person on the horse was Bai Yu.After seeing Xiao Yangyue, Bai Yu was so anxious that he even forgot to use the self-proclaimed subordinate for a while: "My lord, I met Zuo Tongzhi just now. He wants to pass on the emperor's imperial decree. Your majesty... the emperor will punish Lord Hou ?!"

Henry Zhang stared at him, speechless for a moment.

Bai Yu: "The death penalty in the imperial prison, even if you are innocent, you will be tortured! How can Lord Hou stand it?!"

"No..." Xiao Yangyue said slowly, "The emperor has decreed to depose the title of Marquis and kill the Marquis."

Bai Yu was stunned: "What..."

He was dazed for a while, then said in a trembling voice: "Lord Pavilion Master, Lord Hou..."

"Duckweed Pavilion must not interfere with the interrogation of the imperial prison." Henry Zhang clenched the reins tightly in his hand, and shouted, "Follow me to the Hou's Mansion."

Bai Yu was taken aback for a moment, then immediately replied: "Yes!"

The two of them swung their whips at high speed, breaking through the night fog in the capital like two off-string arrows, and rushed towards Hou's mansion.It was almost dawn when the two arrived at the Hou's Mansion. The Hou's Mansion was surrounded inside and outside by the guards. The guards said in a secret letter that their search of the Hou's Mansion had not yet ended.

Xiao Yangyue got off his horse, and several guards who were dry guards surrounded him and saluted him.

Xiao Yangyue wanted to go in, but the guards at the gate said: "My lord, the emperor has ordered that the gate guards search the Hou's mansion, and no outsiders are allowed to enter."

Henry Zhang glanced at him coldly: "Why, do you even want to stop me?"

"This……"

Cold sweat dripped from the foreheads of the dry door guards. Behind the master of the Duckweed Pavilion is the emperor, and he is not an outsider after all. If the emperor makes a new order and he delays the work of the master, no one can bear the responsibility .

Thinking of this, the guards didn't dare to stop them anymore, they could only

Turning sideways to make way for Xiao Yangyue and Bai Yu, but kept an eye on it, and let the companions on the side go back to the palace to report the matter to the acquaintance.

Xiao Yangyue walked into the Hou's mansion, there were a few things that were found on the table in the main hall, and they were strictly guarded by the guards of the dry gate, and a damp smell of medicine could be smelled from a distance.

Qi Zhu's study was searched upside down, all the things in the room were turned out, piled up in a mess on the ground, all the calligraphy, painting and ancient books were ruined, especially the Baibaoge, which was almost completely unloaded.

How could these things be found in the Hou Mansion?

At this moment, a woman's cry came from the corridor outside the study door, Henry Zhang took a closer look, and saw a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl sitting on the corridor, the bun on her head was all loose, There was also a red slap mark on his face, and he cried heart-rendingly.

Henry Zhang recognized her, she was Xi He, the big girl next to Qi Zhu.

Hearing that Lord Hou was going to prison and the emperor wanted to search the Hou's mansion, Xi He and the housekeepers were scared out of their wits.Those guards ransacked Lord Hou's study wantonly, and threw all the things that Lord Hou liked on the ground. Xi He came over to snatch them while crying, but was slapped on the head by the guards and kicked out.

Seeing Henry Zhang, Xi He was stunned for a moment, and recognized him as the adult who often communicated with Lord Hou, and quickly knelt down and kowtowed as if grabbing a life-saving straw.

"Lord Xiao! I beg you to save Lord Hou!" Xihe cried, "Master Hou has been running around for the emperor for more than a year. His loyalty is a lesson from heaven and earth. How could he want to harm the emperor?! Lord Hou He was wronged! Lord Hou is still injured, how could he endure the torture in prison! Lord Hou is the only son of the old Lord Hou, the Hou Mansion cannot live without Lord Hou! Please save Lord Hou!"

Xihe's crying pierced Henry Zhang's heart one by one, he didn't know how to comfort others, let alone how to comfort himself.

"Let everyone in the Hou mansion stay in peace, don't ask too many questions, don't cause trouble for Lord Hou." Xiao Yangyue whispered, "Where is Jiyun?"

Xi He nodded quickly, wiped away tears, and led Henry Zhangyue and Bai Yu to the Hou Mansion.

Jiyun stood anxiously in a courtyard in the backyard. The dry guards didn't even let go of the houses in the backyard where the female relatives should live. All the concubines of the old Hou Ye were also kicked out, standing in the courtyard and whimpering. cry.

After seeing Henry Zhang appearing outside the arched door, Ji Yun hurriedly ran out quietly, Henry Henry asked her in a low voice: "Is there a servant in Hou's mansion who has been bribed?"

In addition to Jiyun, there are several duckweed pavilion spies who have been inserted in the Hou mansion, not only to deliver news to the duckweed pavilion, but also to protect Lord Hou.

Jiyun shook his head: "My lord, Lord Hou has already screened the original servants in the family, and the ones left behind are all loyal to the Hou family. Even those concubine mothers and concubine sons must have spies around, trying to frame him. Lord Hou also has no chance, as well as the spies of the duckweed pavilion, it is impossible for these people to be bribed by someone outside who wants to frame Lord Hou."

"In the past few days, have there been any outsiders in the Hou Mansion?"

"Slaves... I can't think of any outsiders coming here at the moment." Ji Yun thought for a moment, then shook his head at last, and said impatiently, "My lord, what should I do!"

If it is not someone from the Hou’s mansion, then it must be an outsider. The emperor’s imperial decree must have been passed to the imperial prison. Henry Zhang can’t interfere with the interrogation of the imperial prison now, so he can only try his best to find clues in other places. Executed...he doesn't have much time!

"Master Hou was injured a while ago, did anyone else come to visit and greet him?" Henry Zhang's voice unconsciously carried a bit of urgency, "Anyone!"

Ji Yun: "No, Master Hou declined everyone's visits, and the imperial physician also said to let Master Hou rest..."

"Emperor Physician..." Xiao Yangyue suddenly interrupted, with a darker look in his eyes, "How many times has the Imperial Physician been here?"