Hearing this, the ministers understood what was going on, and couldn't help but whisper with a shocked face.

Wang Qin and Xu Shangshu looked at each other in shock.

While waiting, Zhao Heng sat at the back of the dragon case and watched some recitals, while the ministers stood quietly and waited on both sides.

Suddenly, a eunuch's shout came from outside the palace: The queen mother has arrived!

Zhao Heng put down the piece in his hand, stood up from the dragon chair, and walked off the stage.

The Empress Dowager walked into the main hall accompanied by two young court maids.

Zhao Heng came to the queen mother and knelt down and said: "The son of the minister to see the queen mother."

All the ministers knelt down together and shouted: The ministers see the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother is a thousand years old, a thousand years old!

The Empress Dowager stretched out her hand and pulled Zhao Heng up, turned her head and said to the ministers: All the ministers are flat.

The ministers stood up.

Zhao Heng helped the Queen Mother to walk behind the dragon case and sit on the dragon chair.

A eunuch brought a chair and placed it next to the dragon chair, and Zhao Heng sat on it.

The Queen Mother asked: Your Majesty, what happened, you have to let the palace come?

Zhao Hengdao: The queen mother, the local officials in Luoyang jointly signed the letter to Li Yinglong, the magistrate of Luoyang County, and executed the prisoner without the approval of the Criminal Department, committing major crimes such as exceeding his authority and arbitrariness, contempt for the court, and bullying the monarch. Wang Xiang and Xu Shangshu thought that Li Zhixian's crime was unforgivable, and asked me to issue an order to arrest Li Zhixian and go to Beijing to ask for the crime. Because Li Zhixian was the adopted son of the queen mother, the son did not dare to call the shots, so he asked the queen mother to come over and make a decision.

The Empress Dowager asked: What's the matter, shouldn't Li Zhixian kill someone?

Zhao Heng hurriedly said: Is this not, according to the materials from the Luoyang County Yabao, those prisoners are all extremely evil, and they are all responsible for murder and should be killed.

The Empress Dowager said: Since these prisoners should be killed, Li Zhixian did what he should do, what is the crime?

Xu Shangshu bowed upwards and said: Queen Mother, although those prisoners should be killed, they cannot be executed without the approval of our Criminal Department.

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "I see."

After that, he paused and asked, "So, what are you going to do with Li Zhixian?"

Xu Shangshu said: Empress Dowager, Li Zhixian committed a capital crime, and he should be beheaded according to the law.

Master Shi made an example to bow upwards and said: Empress Dowager, Li Zhixian of Luoyang has not been afraid of power since he took office, eliminated violence and peace, avenged grievances for the people, and even did several good things that were very satisfying, and was called Li Qingtian by the people of Luoyang, although he executed the prisoner privately and violated the criminal law, but it should be seen that Li Zhixian is a good official for the people, and should not be sentenced to death.

Wang Qindao: Lord Shi's words are inappropriate, as the saying goes, the prince is guilty of the same crime as the common people, although Li Zhixian is a good official who has done good things for the people, but he must have violated the criminal law, the law is sacred, whoever violates it must pay the price, otherwise what is the use of the law, besides, this case must not be opened, otherwise the officials of all prefectures and counties across the country will follow suit, and the emperor will not be hollowed out.

The Queen Mother looked at Kou Xiang and asked, "Kou Xiang, what is your opinion?"

Kou Xiang bowed upwards and said: Empress Dowager, the minister doesn't know anything about what happened in Luoyang County, but I think that Li Zhixian is an official of the court, he should know the law, and if he knows the law, he should know what the crime of executing prisoners without permission is, but since he knows that he still does this, there must be a reason for him to do it, otherwise he is not a fool, how could he stretch his neck and hit himself on the knife to find death. Therefore, the minister suggested that Li Zhixian should be quickly transferred to Beijing to find out the matter, instead of rushing to sentence Li Zhixian to death before he found out the cause of the matter.

After that, he looked at Wang Qin and Xu Shangshu and said with a meaningful smile: "Two adults, it can't be that among the prisoners executed by Li Zhixian, are your relatives and friends?"

Hearing this, the two of them were shocked and said in unison: Nonsense, how can there be such a thing.

Kou Xiang nodded and said: Since this is the case, then it will be easy to do, the two of you will first collect your high opinions, and wait for the matter to be investigated.

Hearing this, all the ministers nodded in agreement.

The queen mother smiled and praised: It's still Kou Xiang who is smart, and he can see the essence of the problem at a glance.

After that, he said to the ministers: You don't want to think about it, a person who won the first place in the examination, what a smart person, would he make such a low-level mistake to let the family catch him, or the palace will reveal the mystery to you, the mystery is that Li Zhixian does not need to report to the criminal department for the execution of death row prisoners, which is within the scope of his authority, because the palace has transferred the jade plate given to the palace by the emperor to Li Zhixian before he took office, and Li Zhixian has the right to cut first and then play.

Hearing this, the ministers were shocked, and there was another discussion.

Wang Qin and Xu Shangshu's faces suddenly became ugly.

Kou Xiang smiled: I see, then we don't have to waste time on this matter anymore, let's change the subject.

With that, go back to your place.

Zhao Heng whispered to the Queen Mother: Queen Mother, why didn't you tell your sons about this? Let the sons have a false alarm.

Hearing this, the Queen Mother said secretly, I didn't want to make it public in the first place, that is, I wanted him to come to the palace again in the future, where I knew that there would be such an accident, but now I have to make it public.

She couldn't help but apologize and said: Your Majesty, it was the queen mother's negligence, this is the queen mother's fault.

Zhao Heng hurriedly said: Queen Mother, Erchen has no intention of blaming, Erchen means that if Erchen knew about this matter in advance, Erchen would not disturb the Queen Mother.

Hearing this, the Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction.