Not long after, the eldest prince Zhou Lian was brought over.

As soon as Zhou Lian entered the house, he was a little strange when he saw this battle, but he still asked the emperor and Xu Guifei to say goodbye as usual. Zhou Ying had to get up to greet Zhou Lian, Zhou Lian was even more surprised, and didn't figure out why Zhou Ying appeared here.

Xu Guifei asked the emperor for instructions, and after agreeing, she said: "The eldest prince may know that the sixth prince and the seventh princess were seriously ill and couldn't see anyone two days ago?" ”

Zhou Lian nodded, "Erchen knows, Erchen was anxious when he heard it that day, and he specially sent a box of salvia." ”

Xu Guifei's eyes were as calm as water: "This is fake." ”

Zhou Lian's eyes widened in surprise, "What's going on?" ”

Xu Guifei looked at Zhou Lian without blinking, "The two of them were kidnapped on the street that day, in full view of everyone, and they were rescued two days ago. Without waiting for Zhou Lian to react, Xu Guifei continued, "Now that the Imperial Forest Army has obtained the person behind the scenes, this person is the eunuch Huang Bao next to you, the eldest prince, what do you think of this matter?" ”

"Kidnapped in broad daylight, what about the Guards?" Zhou Lian was very incredulous, feeling ridiculous and even ridiculous, "Huang Bao is the person behind the scenes? He is just a taciturn little eunuch, and he doesn't dare to quarrel with anyone if he says more, is he mistaken? ”

"There are all the human and material evidence." Xu Guifei picked up the files on several cases and threw them into Zhou Lian's arms, "If the eldest prince doesn't believe it, you can take a look." ”

Zhou Lian picked up the dossier, felt that Xu Guifei's attitude was a little unkind, and was stunned for a moment before flipping through it. He has always been quite smart, but he was shocked by this news just now, and he couldn't react, but at this time, he looked at it carefully, and realized that between the lines, it was clearly pointing to him. He couldn't help but turn whiter and paler, and when he turned to Huang Bao's suicide note, his hand was weak, the file slipped from his hand, and the suicide note also fell to his feet.

Xu Guifei said meaningfully: "If you don't say anything, you can do such a big thing, it seems that people are really unseemly, isn't it?" ”

Zhou Lian's throat was tight, and he couldn't say a word.

Xu Guifei's voice was gentle and gentle, "This Huang Bao is really a loyal servant, since he knows what happened, he directly cut himself off, and he will never tarnish the master's name." The eldest prince, your method of regulating people is indeed very good, I can't help but want to ask you for advice. ”

Although Xu Guifei didn't say it explicitly, every word was sarcastic, and Zhou Lian secretly instructed it.

Xu Guifei's faint accusations were still secondary, and the key emperor was sitting on the top, although he didn't say a word, but like a high mountain, he pressed heavily on Zhou Lian's head. Zhou Lian couldn't bear it any longer, his face turned pale, he pounced, fell to his knees, and trembled, "Father, this really has nothing to do with the sons." ”

As soon as he heard this, the emperor's heart sank and he closed his eyes in disappointment.

If Zhou Lian has been frank and open, and when Xu Guifei asks him, he can also argue with reason, then the emperor can still convince himself that maybe Ding Tang is wrong, and Zhou Lian is wronged. Even if he is not wronged, if he dares to quibble in front of the emperor, he is considered a hero. But Zhou Lian was so weak and vulnerable, whether he was a thief or was really wronged, the emperor was disappointed.

Although the sixth prince Zhou Jue is smart and changeable, looks like Xiao's father, and is also a concubine, he is very valued by the emperor, and the emperor does have the meaning of being located in Zhou Jue, but Zhou Jue is still young after all, and he is young, and there are rumors that it may not be good, not to mention that the emperor is in the heyday of the Spring and Autumn Period, so he is naturally not in a hurry.

As for Zhou Lian, as the emperor's eldest son, he is smart and gentle, and he has never made mistakes, so he is certainly one of the candidates. Although the emperor used the second prince to suppress the eldest prince when he was staying in the country, this was mostly out of trade-offs, not to let him out.

But now Zhou Lian's appearance has completely lowered his own image to the bottom in the emperor's heart.

Zhou Lian has never been good at observing words and feelings, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that his father was going to give up on him.

A tide of panic made Zhou Lian almost suffocated, he was running his brain frantically, but he couldn't come up with a useful idea, he could only murmur, and said in a voice that almost cried: "Father, please believe me, it's really not my ......"

Xu Guifei saw that the overall situation had been decided, and she was proud, but she also knew that she was aggressive to the eldest prince this time, and she was afraid that she had aroused the emperor's dissatisfaction, so she did not show a single flamboyance, covered her sleeves and wept and said: "The eldest prince, where did Xiao Jue offend you and provoke you to do such a poisonous hand?" ”

The emperor really paused for a moment, then his face softened, and he patted Xu Guifei's hand, "Don't cry, concubine, I will give Xiao Jue justice." ”

When Zhou Lian heard this, his mind turned white in an instant, and his words of begging for mercy stopped.

The emperor comforted Xu Guifei, then turned his head, looked at Zhou Lian who knelt down, was silent for a moment, and was about to speak, but heard Zhou Ying behind the screen say: "Father, I don't know if I should say a sentence or not?" ”

"Say it." The Emperor paused, "Come out, there are no outsiders here." ”

"Thank you, Father." Zhou Ying came out from behind the screen.

Ding Tang saluted Zhou Ying at the next head, Zhou Ying nodded, and glanced at Zhou Lian with a desperate face, hesitated for a moment whether this person should be saved, but then made up her mind, even if it was for herself, she had to find out the real murderer behind the scenes.

Zhou Ying ignored the obviously unhappy Xu Guifei and said to the emperor, "Father, I have a few questions and want to ask Commander Ding." ”

The emperor raised his hand and let Zhou Ying feel free.

Zhou Ying looked at Ding Tang and asked, "Dare to ask Commander Ding, did Cai Sanying, the human trafficker who was caught, recognize Huang Bao with his own fingers?" ”

Ding Tang replied: "Princess Huiyu, the minister found Huang Bao according to the portrait, and when he found the person, Huang Bao was already dead......

Zhou Ying said in a calm tone, and asked again: "Then let me correct, did Cai Sanying identify Huang Bao's body?" ”

Ding Tang glanced up at Zhou Ying, and at this time, he corrected his mentality and replied: "After the minister found Huang Bao's body, he brought Cai Sanying up and asked Cai Sanying to identify whether it was the person who connected with him that day, and he said yes." ”

Zhou Ying walked up to Zhou Lian, bent down, picked up the files and other things scattered on the ground, turned out the portrait, and looked at the person in the painting with a round face, single eyelids, small eyes, no features at all, no ordinary appearance, but also responded to the conjecture in her heart, she asked again: "How is Huang Bao's death?" ”

Xu Guifei, who was on the top, frowned in disgust, "What are you asking for?" ”

Zhou Ying looked back and smiled, "It's naturally useful, don't be impatient with the concubine, it'll be fine right away." Commander Ding, please speak, I'll wait. ”

Seeing that the emperor did not stop him, Ding Tang hid the surprise in his eyes and replied respectfully: "When the minister found Huang Bao's body, in less than an hour, his face was bruised, his eyes were protruding, the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, his tongue was spit out, and the corpse spots were ......."

"Enough!" Xu Guifei clutched her chest and shouted.

"It's mine, no, it frightened the mother. If the concubine is afraid, why don't you go down and rest for a while? Zhou Ying said apologetically.

Xu Guifei was willing to leave at this time, closed her eyes for a moment, and then refused coldly: "No, you can get to the point quickly." ”

Zhou Ying nodded, and smiled apologetically again, "Don't worry, this part of the question has been completed." ”

Only then did she turn her head and ask Ding Tangdao, "I'm not a professional, I'm very curious about this, in the case of such a hideous and distorted face of the corpse, Cai Sanying, who has only met the connector a few times, can really identify the connector person as this corpse?" ”

Ding Tang couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, this is really not guaranteed.

Zhou Ying held up the portrait again and added, "Especially when the connector looks like a public face." ”

Ding Tang is not a stubborn person, he seriously considered Zhou Ying's words, pondered for a moment, and said cautiously: "What the princess said is also reasonable, and the possibility that Cai Sanying admitted her mistake cannot be ruled out." ”

"It's good that there's a possibility, and I'm not trying to overturn the testimony." Zhou Ying said politely and stretched out a finger, "This is suspicion one." ”

"I heard from Commander Ding that he had found two thousand taels of silver in Huang Bao's room, which was the same amount that Cai Sanying demanded when he blackmailed the connector for the second time." After receiving Ding Tang's nod, Zhou Ying asked again, "Dare to ask where this silver was found?" ”

"It's hidden under Huang Bao's bed...... Ding Tang glanced at Xu Guifei, and said, "Drowning in the bucket." ”

Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Xu Guifei covered her nose and leaned back on the back of the chair, and said in disgust: "This is also too disgusting." The emperor also frowned and patted Xu Guifei on the back, but he didn't say anything to stop Zhou Ying's questioning.

So Zhou Ying just didn't hear it, and continued to ask: "In addition to the suicide note, is there anything other suspicious in his house?" ”

Ding Tang shook his head, "Nothing else." ”

Zhou Ying turned out the suicide note again, "And this suicide note also did not mention anything about the kidnapping and murder of the prince." ”

Xu Guifei patted her chest, and then she endured the nausea rolling in her chest and abdomen, and when she came to her senses, she heard Zhou Ying's words, and couldn't help but interject and replied: "Since this eunuch is loyal and doesn't want to drag down the eldest prince, how can he leave a handle and let people accuse?" ”

Zhou Ying nodded at Xu Guifei and smiled: "As the mother concubine said, since he didn't want to drag down the imperial brother and didn't mention the kidnapping in his suicide note, why did he leave two thousand taels of silver?" Out of the yard, a few steps further to the lake, sinking the silver directly to the bottom of the lake, why did he leave this ready-made handle? Do you want to sit on his charges and then ignite the fire on the royal brother? ”

The room was suddenly quiet, and Zhou Lian, who fell to the ground softly, couldn't help but light up in his eyes.

Zhou Ying raised two fingers, "This is suspicion two." ”

Zhou Ying squatted down, looked at Zhou Lian with burning eyes, and asked: "Three days ago, my father and mother returned in a carriage, and as soon as they entered the door, they were stopped by the eldest emperor, and reported to the father that the governor of Caoyun fell into the water, do you still remember?" ”