In front of the main hall of Kunning Palace, there are kneeling eunuchs and palace maids, and there are several benches with court staff and some torture instruments in the front.

The crown prince was poisoned in Zhongcui Palace as soon as it was reported to Kunning Palace, and Empress Zhou ordered someone to carry Zhu Cihong to Kunning Palace to take care of him personally.

Looking at her pale son, Empress Zhou was extremely angry, and first ordered a comprehensive search of the entire Zhongcui Palace, but no poison or anything was found, and then Empress Zhou issued an edict to arrest and torture all the people in the palace who had had the opportunity to contact the prince today.

At the beginning, Empress Zhou did not let Gong Zhengsi use a big punishment, for fear of being beaten into a trick, talking nonsense, and complicating things, but only ordered Zhang Gongzheng in Gong Zhengsi to interrogate, but nothing was found, and everyone denied it.

Empress Zhou finally lost her patience, she sneered on her face, and said: "You really don't cry when you don't see the coffin, come here, take turns to beat the cane, and beat until someone confesses!" ”

The decree was issued, and the palace chief began to torture, pressing these palace maids and eunuchs on the bench in turn, ready to pick up their pants and cane.

At that time, several palace maids were scared and cried, and two eunuchs were wet under their feet, and there was a stench coming out, and they were so frightened that they peed their pants.

Queen Zhou frowned, her face was a little pale, she was a woman in her twenties, she had never seen this whole battle, her heart was a little straight, a chill spread all over her body, she could only endure it.

A eunuch of Shangshan Prison no longer had any strength in his legs, and was completely put on the bench by the eunuch of Kunning Palace, and he cried and said, "The queen mother spares her life!" The queen spares her life! The slave and the maid really don't know, the slave and the maid are wronged......."

Some other palace maids also mustered up the courage to sobble and cry, but still no one took the initiative to confess.

Empress Zhou said fiercely: "This palace knows that most of you are innocent, but this palace is also helpless, the prince is poisoned in the palace, and none of you can escape!" If you want to blame, blame the poisoner! Continue the torture, no confession, but not a single person! ”

Zhang Gongzheng felt a pang in his heart, this always gentle queen mother was really ruthless this time, the crown prince was poisoned, even if he killed all the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace, it would be difficult to resist the sin.

In a banging sound, there were bursts of heart-rending screams, and the palace maids and eunuchs who were knocked out were woken up by the water and continued to be tortured.

Empress Zhou sat on the chair, her face was not bloody, and she trembled a little, and several eunuchs and palace maids behind her were also bloodless and shaky.

Although Xiao Qinzi, who had learned to read and write with Empress Zhou before, was also frightened, after all, he was bolder than other palace maids, so he walked behind Empress Zhou and gently hammered her shoulders.

Xiao Qinzi said softly: "Niangniang, the smell here is too unpleasant, how can your delicate body stand this, let's go inside and see Your Highness, let the slave maid keep an eye here, and report to Niangniang as soon as there is news." ”

After hearing this, Queen Zhou nodded lightly, stood up, and entered the main hall in the company of everyone.

Chongzhen hurriedly came to Kunning Palace, and when he saw the battle in front of the palace, he didn't even look at it, and went straight to the main hall of Kunning Palace.

The palace maids and eunuchs who were waiting to be tortured outside the hall saw the saint come up, and one by one their faces were as dead as ashes.

Emperor Chongzhen entered the inner room, ignored everyone's salute, and went straight to the bed, only to see that Zhu Cihong had already vomited, and his face was pale in an instant.

"What the hell is going on?" Chongzhen roared angrily.

Wu Zhong crawled over and said, "Back to Your Majesty, Your Highness is fine today, after returning to Zhongcui Palace from Kunning Palace two quarters of an hour ago, I started to have nausea and vomiting." ”

"What did the Imperial Doctor say?"

The envoy of the Tai Hospital, who was dispensing medicine on the side, replied: "Back to Your Majesty, according to Gonggong Wu, His Royal Highness had no symptoms and no diarrhea before, indicating that it was not caused by cold and impure food, but frequent nausea and vomiting, the minister ....... The minister preliminarily judged that His Highness was poisoned......."

Although a few imperial doctors around him had some different opinions, they all spoke when they saw that the adults in the hospital had spoken, and it was not easy to say anything, they were all adults, and everyone understood the consequences of not giving face to the leader, and he didn't judge what the prince's symptoms were.

"Do you know what poison it is?" Chongzhen frowned.

The envoy of the Tai Hospital said, "Minister...... The minister has not yet judged ......"

"Useless things, get out of here!"

Chongzhen was furious, someone blatantly wanted to harm his prince in the palace, this is really mad! Suddenly, in an instant, the untimely death of Emperor Zhengde, the red pill case of his father, and the overboard case of his brother Emperor Tianqi all came to his heart!

Is it a coincidence that all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty who want to do practical things have died inexplicably young? There must be some conspiracy in this!

No, but why have I been fine for so many years? Chongzhen was confused again all of a sudden.

Zhu Cihong's face was pale and said weakly: "Father, if you don't like your sons, you can completely abolish your sons and set up another prince, just give me a fief, and let your sons be a free prince, why ......?"

As he spoke, Zhu Cihong coughed violently a few times, and then stopped talking.

Hearing this, everyone was shocked, Queen Zhou's body shook violently, and she looked at Chongzhen with a cold face, her eyes full of pain.

What do you mean? Suspect I did it?

Chongzhen was a little panicked all of a sudden, and he said angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about!" Tiger poison doesn't eat children, how can I be the kind of person who is inferior to beasts! ”

Zhu Cihong just looked at him quietly, without any expression, and then vomited again.......

Chongzhen trembled angrily, and said with angry eyebrows: "Check! Give me a thorough investigation, and all those who have come into contact with the prince today will be thoroughly investigated! No! All those who have come into contact with the prince in recent days have been checked by me! ”

"Command!" Luo Yangxing's body was shocked, and he immediately bowed down.

Chongzhen said coldly: "You don't need to check, let Li Tingbiao check!" ”

Luo Yangxing was a little confused for a while, why didn't you let me check it? Isn't that my job? Of course, Chongzhen will not solve his doubts, because he has no habit of explaining to people.

Luo Yangxing forgot that Chongzhen once wanted to kill a speech official named Jiang Cai, first put Jiang Cai in prison, and then ordered Luo Yangxing to secretly kill Jiang Cai, but Luo Yangxing was afraid of refusing to do it afterwards, which made Chongzhen start to be very unhappy with this disobedient house slave.

Chongzhen used Li Tingbiao to investigate the case, firstly, to see that Luo was unhappy, and secondly, to prove his innocence, everyone knew that this Li Tingbiao was Zhu Cihong's person, and it was naturally best for him to investigate the case.

Not long after, Empress Zhang also came, and Chongzhen slipped to the side hall early to avoid meeting the imperial sister-in-law, for fear of being scolded.

Li Tingbiao hurriedly entered the palace when he heard the news, first met the emperor in the side hall, received the errand from Chongzhen himself, and then found an opportunity to meet Zhu Cihong.

Looking at the haggard appearance of the crown prince, Li Ting's heart was like a knife, and he felt very incompetent for a moment, and he arranged a lot of eyes and ears in the palace, but he didn't expect the crown prince to be harmed.

In front of everyone, Zhu Cihong didn't explain anything to Li Tingbiao, but said calmly: "I'll leave it to you, check it carefully!" ”