After Zong Zheng Cheng Lie came out of the Ganzi County Palace, he did not dare to delay for a moment and immediately rushed to the palace. Zong Zhengcheng's authority is to be in charge of the affairs of the royal family, and people who are not exquisite cannot do it. The current Zongzheng Cheng Lie is an extremely delicate person, and he knows the temperament of the Xiao clan very well. Xiao Lie has long known that this Ganzi County King Xiao Shihuan has an incomparable favor for Xiao Xun, and he is the best candidate for the future succession to the throne that has long been tacitly determined. Now, Xiao Xun actually drank poisonous tea in Taimiao and died violently, which is tantamount to a bolt from the blue for the king of Ganzi, and he will definitely not give up. According to the temperament of the king of Ganzi and his closeness to His Majesty Emperor Chongjing, it is estimated that he will enter the palace to meet the emperor at dawn in order to discuss the explanation. Xiao Lie analyzed that he already knew about the matter, and witnessed the whole process of Guan Yao's drug test in person, so no matter what, he had to enter the palace before the palace door was opened, and report the matter to the emperor in advance, and he must not let the king of Ganzi County take the lead, otherwise, I am afraid that his position as Zongzhengcheng will not be able to be saved.

However, the Nangong guards guarding the palace gate were extremely stubborn, no matter how Zongzheng begged, the Nangong guards just refused to open the door.

"Master Zongzhengcheng, you know. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, the palace garrison has been strengthened, and during the period when the palace gate is under the key, no matter who it is, we are not allowed to enter the palace. Even our immediate boss, Lord Wei Weiqing, must not trespass without an edict. Last time, Lord Guangluqing had an urgent matter to enter the palace, and several Nangong guards felt that Lord Guangluqing was the brother of the queen's mother, so they made an exception and let him go, but they were all killed by His Majesty afterwards. So, look, Lord Zong Zhengcheng, how dare we let you into the palace? This is going to kill us! Please forgive us Nangong guards. ”

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you are saying, how can I, as Zongzhengcheng, not know? However, today I do have a very urgent matter, and I must immediately enter the palace to play Your Majesty. It's too late, I'm afraid there will be a catastrophe. ”

"Lord Zong Zhengcheng, you are inconsiderate of us Nangong guards. As I said earlier, if we let you in, we'll all be killed. Say something you don't like to hear, can Lord Zong Zhengcheng's face be comparable to Lord Guangluqing? Is the matter that Lord Zong Zhengcheng wants to report more urgent than the matter of Lord Guangluqing? Your Excellency should wait a while, and in a few hours, the palace gate will open. "Nangong Guard's words are reasonable: Zong Zhengcheng is only responsible for the affairs of the clan, and generally there are no urgent or important affairs, and those who delay for a day and a half are irrelevant.

Xiao Lie was a little anxious: "I can remind you that today's matter is very important, and it is by no means an ordinary affair, but a major affair involving the royal family. If a few of you Nangong guards make a mistake, if Your Majesty blames it, it's not fun. ”

"Lord Zong Zhengcheng, you are here to report, it is naturally a royal matter. The affairs of the royal family are not something that we, the guards of Nangong, dare to ask. However, it is still the same sentence, no matter what happens, without the holy decree of His Majesty, we will never open the palace gate. ”

Although Zongzheng Cheng Lie was anxious, he knew very well in his heart that he absolutely could not tell these Nangong guards such an unclear and unclear royal scandal as the poisoning of the grandson of the king of Ganzi County in Taimiao. The Nangong guards are full of mouths, and if it spreads, if it makes His Majesty or the King of Ganzi unhappy, it will be a big deal to lose his head. was hesitating, and suddenly remembered that there were attendants on duty in the temple during the great funeral, and these attendants could enter and exit the palace with waist cards. Realizing this, Zong Zheng Cheng Lie immediately turned around and rushed to the Taimiao.

Sure enough, I saw a lot of attendants on duty in the Taimiao. Because Zongzheng Cheng Lie is in charge of royal affairs, he is very familiar with some chamberlains on weekdays. Finding a few familiar chamberlains, Zong Zheng Cheng Lie breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and said, "I can be regarded as finding a few Yellow Gates." Trouble which Huangmen entered the palace and told the Lord Zhongchang to say that I have urgent matters to play Your Majesty. ”

However, several chamberlains did not agree, and said one after another: "Lord Zongzhengcheng, I really don't want to live with you. Supposedly, according to our friendship, this is not a big deal, if it is left in the past, there is nothing to say. But now it is a time of mourning, and the situation is very different from the past. Guarding the Daxing Emperor in the Taimiao is the duty of those of us as slaves, but we dare not leave our posts without permission. Lord Zong Zhengcheng, if you wait for a few more hours, the palace gate will open, and then Lord Zong Zhengcheng will enter the palace again to play, wouldn't it be better. We're cheap, aren't we? You say, yes and no, Lord Zongzhengcheng? ”

Zong Zheng Cheng Lie never expected that these well-cooked servants would also touch a nail here. Despite his repeated persuasions, these servants were unwilling to make any accommodations, and showed no signs of relenting. After a stalemate, these chamberlains were not only intolerant, but also raised the throat of the male duck and quarreled loudly with Xiao Lie.

Zongzheng Chenglie has a plan in his heart: if he didn't see the matter of the Ganzi County Mansion with his own eyes, then forget it, but he was the Shaofu Cheng who saw with his own eyes the whole process of drug testing and reasoning, although it was a matter of the Ganzi County Wang's family, but the matter involved the Taimiao, if something involved in the palace, it would be a shocking scandal that made His Majesty lose face. His Majesty is a very good-looking person today, except for such a scandal, if he, Zong Zhengcheng, who came to the scene of the Ganzi County Palace, hides aside and does not report it in time, he will be dealt with no matter what. Only playing in the morning is the only possibility to get out of responsibility. Seeing that the sky is about to dawn, if you don't send the news to the palace, it may be too late.

Zong Zhengcheng was helpless, sighed, and said loudly: "Everyone, Huangmen, I'll tell you." In the early hours of this morning, something happened to the royal family, not only involving the royal family, but also involving His Majesty's palace. If it is not handled properly, Your Majesty may lose face. When the time comes, everyone, we all have to eat and hang! ”

Several of the chamberlains were stunned. In the middle of the night, what kind of shocking scandal can there be in the royal family. When the musicians in the music shed heard these words, they were all stunned, and they were all sleepy-eyed, but they all got up at once, and listened to Zong Zhengcheng's words with their ears open.

The attendants on duty in the temple didn't dare to slack off anymore, and immediately a chamberlain entered the palace to tell Chun Tuo, the middle attendant. Chuntuo sent someone to bring Zong Zheng Cheng Lie into the Qianyuan Palace. At this hour, Emperor Chongjing had not yet gotten up. Because after he succeeded to the throne, he suddenly inexplicably suffered from a hidden illness and could not be fortunate with the concubines, Emperor Chongjing recently simply lived in the east gate of the Qianyuan Palace, and did not go to any of the harem concubines to rest, so as not to look at the concubines upset.

"Master Zong Zhengcheng, what's wrong? It's another scandal, and His Majesty has lost face, don't say these things casually. Your Majesty has not been on the throne for a long time, and I can't listen to these words the most! Chun Tuo first gave Zong Zheng Cheng Lie a dismissal.

"Lord Zhongchang, if it weren't for something wrong, I would have ten guts, and I wouldn't dare to break into the palace gate rashly." Zong Zheng Cheng Lie said.

"Then what do you say?"

"Lord Zhongchang, the little prince of the king of Ganzi died violently last night......"

"Oh! Is that a thing? Master Zong Zhengcheng, you are an old man who has done old things, why are you still so flustered?! The coffin of Emperor Daxing is still parked in the Taimiao, the country has a big funeral, and the matter is not urgent. The state has a charter, and it is necessary to follow it. A county king's family has lost a little grandson, although it is a little regrettable, but no matter what, it can't cover the great funeral of the first emperor. Just record it and do it according to the established regulations, do you need to hurry to lock the palace door at night? ”

"Lord Nakatsune, you're right. If it's just an ordinary death of a little grandson, it's really not an urgent matter. But the violent death of Xun Xun was anything but unusual. Zong Zheng Cheng Lie said, "Lord Zhongchang, Xiao Xun was poisoned, and he had a lot to do with the palace. The first is that the Purple Star Roland is poisonous, and according to the Shaofu Cheng Guan, this Purple Star Roland is only available in the Forestry Garden of the Holy Capital; The second is that the place of poisoning is in the Xinuan Pavilion of Taimiao, which was poisoned when drinking sacrificial tea yesterday; The third is that the poison of Purple Star Roland was placed in the white jade cup dedicated to the king of Beiling County, and he asked the king of Beiling County for the tea at that time, and then he was poisoned. Look, Lord Zhongchang, does this matter have a lot to do with the palace? Shouldn't you buckle the palace door at night and play your majesty and the middle attendant? ”

When Chun Tuo heard half of it, he was already frightened. This is the secret operation of poisoning the king of Beiling County arranged by him, the original setting is very exquisite, interlocking, and there is no deviation, why did he just run out of a little grandson of the king of Ganzi County, and why did he ask the king of Beiling County for the tea in the white jade cup to drink? ! Well, the king of Beiling County did not poison him, but he mistakenly killed a little grandson of the king of Ganzi County, and it was found out that he was poisoned by Purple Star Roland in the Taimiao. Chuntuo realized: the situation is out of control!

But Chuntuo behaved very calmly: "Oh? Unexpectedly, there was such a bizarre and strange thing. But how was this detected? You start with the beginning, and I'll listen to it. His Majesty is still resting and will not get up until later. ”

"Lord Zhongchang, here's how it happened......" Zongzheng Cheng Lie introduced the reason for the matter to Chun Tuo in detail, especially the section on Shaofu Cheng Guan's personal drug test, which was very detailed.

After hearing this, Chun Tuo was even more shocked, and said: "Lord Zongzhengcheng, this matter is not a small matter, please wait, I will go to tell Your Majesty immediately." I estimate that Your Majesty may summon you, please sort it out again, and when Your Majesty summons you, you must say that it is refreshing. After speaking, Chun Tuo turned around and entered the east gate of Qianyuan Palace.

I only heard a wild roar in Dongque, followed by the sound of a teacup being dropped. Chun Tuo trotted out, beckoned to Zong Zheng Cheng Lie from a long distance, and invited him to meet the emperor in Dongque.

Zongzheng Cheng Lie was introduced into Dongque, and Emperor Chongjing sat cross-legged on the bed, without grooming, with an angry face and no words.

Chun Tuo opened his mouth first: "Your Majesty is angry, be careful of hurting your body." Let's listen to what Master Zongzheng Cheng Lie has to say. Then he turned to Xiao Lie and said, "Lord Zongzhengcheng, please tell Your Majesty what you just said in detail." ”

"Your Majesty, this is really a strange thing." So, Zongzheng Cheng Lie retold the matter from beginning to end, but it was more clear and organized, and it was more detailed, including how Shaofu Cheng Guan Xuan took the initiative to ask for help, how he was skilled in medicine, and how to retire everyone and the secret words of the King of Ganzi County in the end, etc., all explained in detail, and finally said, "Your Majesty, Weichen feels that this matter involves the palace, and it involves the two royal palaces of the county, and I am deeply afraid that improper handling of this matter will damage Your Majesty's holy name, so when the palace door is not opened, he risked the palace to detain the palace, disturbed Your Majesty, and disobeyed Your Majesty's strict decree. The minister's misbehavior is unorthodox and unorthodox, please punish him severely. After saying these words, Zong Zheng Chenglie's body was already soaked. He didn't know what instructions Emperor Chongjing, who had just succeeded to the throne, would give instructions, and life and death, honor and disgrace were undecided.

"You've handled it well, get up, Lie." Xiao Tuyou said, after speaking, he reached out and asked for a hot towel, and said while wiping his face: "As Zongzhengcheng, you are in charge of these things in the clan, and it is good that you can think about me and the face of the palace in advance." This incident happened in the Taimiao, and there were deaths, and it involved the two founding meritorious princes, the king of Beiling County and the king of Ganzi County, which was by no means an ordinary trivial matter of the clan. Now is the time of the great funeral of the first emperor, and it should be handled with a high degree of prudence. You're good. Get up and talk back. Chuntuo, give a seat. ”

Wait for Zongzheng to sit down cautiously. Xiao Tuyou continued: "There was a big case of poisoning the clan in the Taimiao, which is really an unheard of scandal. It's just that there are too many joints in between, and for a while, I can't figure out what to do with your rhetoric. I estimate that it won't be long before Shihuan will close the palace door. Chuntuo, you go and send an order to the Nangong guards, if the king of Ganzi comes, don't stop him, just let him in. In addition, Chun Tuo, you quickly send someone to tell Yu Yuanxuan, and let him come to the Qianyuan Palace immediately, it is estimated that it will not be able to stop today. Xiao Lie, you go back first, this matter is very important, I will assign Zong Zhengqing (1) to handle this matter, you don't have to interfere for the time being, go down. Don't leak a word of what you said to me! Chuntuo, let someone come in and help me freshen up. ”

"Obey the order!"

"Slave obeys!"

Chuntuo and Zong Zheng retreated and dispersed.

Xiao Lie was extremely proud of the emperor's approval for taking the plunge of the palace today, and hoped for the trust, honor, reward, and wealth of the upcoming new monarch.

Chun Tuo went to convey the emperor's two wills, and his heart was anxious. His plan to assassinate the king of Beiling County did not succeed. He originally thought that this matter was foolproof, from yesterday to now, he has always been full of confidence, just waiting for someone to report this morning that the funeral training of the king of Beiling County was violent in the middle of the night. The poison of Purple Star Roland is incomparably wonderful, and the time and place are all planned without error, Chun Tuo originally thought that no one would be able to find out that the King of Beiling County died in Purple Star Roland. However, his plan did not succeed, not only did he not succeed, but he also mistakenly killed the grandson of the king of Ganzi; Not only did he kill Xiao Xun by mistake, but the use of Purple Star Roland's poison was also revealed; Not only was it exposed, but it also locked the place where the crime occurred in the Xinuan Pavilion of Taimiao, locked in Yulin Garden, and locked in the white jade cup dedicated to the king of Beiling County. Chun Tuo felt strange why, from yesterday to now, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo, who he assigned to handle this matter, had not come to report this matter to him? Chun Tuo deeply regretted that he was too careless, and if he knew this, he should have found Dong Tuo and Qiu Tuo yesterday to confirm whether the action was correct, otherwise, he would not be as passive as he is now. After Chun Tuo sent someone to deliver the edict to Guang Luqing and Luo Yuan, he specially sent a small yellow gate (2) to find Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo to come to see him outside the gate of Qianyuan Palace, without a moment's delay. After a while, the little yellow door came back, but there was no Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo to follow, and Chun Tuo asked anxiously: "Where are Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo?" What are they grinding for, why can't they come over? ”

"Lord Zhongchang, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo are gone. I didn't see them in the temple or the palace. I inquired, and Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo have suddenly disappeared since noon yesterday. ”

Chuntuo was shocked. It seems that Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo knew that their action had failed, and they absconded in fear of crime!

But Chun Tuo didn't have time to think too much, because Guangluqing had already come.

Guangluqing looked unhappy: "Why are you so panicked, Chuntuo." ”

Chun Tuo led Guangluqing to the corner of a palace gate where no one was around, and said, "My lord, something is wrong. Yesterday's events didn't work out. ”

"Oh?! The king of Beiling County did not have poisonous hair? ”

"There is no poison. Because he didn't drink the tea in the white jade cup at all. ”

"Humph! This old fox escaped again. Let's think again. On the last day of the funeral, he will still come to pay respects, and it will not be too late to do it again. The right to let this old man live for another month. ”

"My lord, things are in trouble! The king of Beiling County did not drink the tea of the white jade cup, but the youngest grandson of the king of Ganzi County, because he liked the white jade cup, asked the king of Beiling County for the tea and drank it. Just reported the news that Xiao Xun is dead! ”

"Huh?!" Guangluqing said in surprise, and after a little thought, he immediately regained his composure: "But don't panic, they can't find out about the poison of Purple Star Roland." Besides, sooner or later, we will have to make a move against the king of Ganzi, and it is not unreasonable to cut off one of his grandchildren and disturb his mind. ”

Chuntuo shook his head again and again, and said, "My lord, please listen to me first." My lord, at the beginning of today's ugly time, I died, and I was already fine. At the end of the ugly time, Zongzheng Cheng Lie and Shaofu Cheng Guan Xuan went to the palace of Ganzi County to record records and condolences according to the rules, you know, this Shaofu Cheng Guan Xuan is a family of imperial doctors, deep knowledge of medical science, on the spot suspected that Xiao Xun was poisoned by the purple star Roland, and immediately did an examination, step by step to check it, and finally finalized that the poison of the purple star Luo Lan in the temple was in the white jade cup when the Taimiao tea was sacrificed. Therefore, the Xinuan Pavilion of the Taimiao, the palace, and the Yulin Garden are now inevitably involved. My lord! ”

Guangluqing's heart tightened: "It's going to be troublesome now." ”

Luo Yuan's brows furrowed, and he looked at Chun Tuo angrily and said: "How did you get it, the king of Beiling County didn't use the white jade cup, and he used the white jade cup, this happened yesterday ago, and he already knew that the matter had not been completed, why did he come to tell me late today?" ”

"My lord, I just found out. I thought my lord's plan was foolproof, so I didn't think to confirm it yesterday. It was my negligence. ”

"Then what did the people you sent to do this do eat, and didn't they know how to report it to you?"

"My lord, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo, who I sent to do this, were originally very effective and cautious, but they suddenly disappeared from noon yesterday. Nine times out of ten, I guess, the two of them absconded in fear of sin. ”

"Huh?! Broken! Guang Luqing's face turned yellow with fright, as if the blood in his body had been sucked dry all at once, and he frowned and said, "If they leak the news, everything will be exposed." Chuntuo, no matter what, you have to find these two people. Once found, kill them immediately. ”

"But, my lord, I don't have any manpower to send."

Guangluqing Yu Yuan paused, nodded and said, "Yes." I'll do it. The priorities now are three. The first is to gag the gardener and the forestryman (7). Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo are now gone, before they are found, things may change at any time, for the sake of all things, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo's night into the Yulin Garden, absolutely not to be said. You can do it. ”

"Wow. The silvicultural order is the person I installed, so don't worry, adults. ”

"The second is to quickly find these two chamberlains and get rid of them. I'll do this. ”

"The third one is quite tricky. Shaofu Cheng was in charge of the matter of dispensing the secret medicine, and I arranged it. As far as I can guess, Guan Yan has already told the king of Ganzi about these things. Ay! Unexpectedly, the fault came out of him, and I was also careless, he is now a young man, and there is a funeral in the clan, so he is going to inspect and hang. Hi! At that time, under the pretext of dispensing medicine, I should have asked for that waste imperial doctor's order to do it. Ay! Lose big because of small, lose big because of small! Don't talk about that now. Of course, the most troublesome thing is not what I just mentioned. Guangluqing's brows furrowed even tighter, and he said slowly, "The most troublesome thing is still with the King of Beiling County." The white jade cup is dedicated to the king of Beiling County. Poisoned in a white jade cup. Even a blind person can see that this poisoning is aimed at the king of Beiling County. Therefore, once the king of Beiling County knew about this matter, he would inevitably be suspicious. I am the one who asks the Shaofu to take charge of the dispensing, and you are the one who is in charge of the guards in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Taimiao, so you and I will not escape the involvement. Therefore, a scapegoat must be found, otherwise the King of Beiling County and the King of Ganzi County will definitely hold you and me go. In that case, it's really troublesome. ”

At this time, a Nangong guard hurriedly came to report that the king of Ganzi County had entered the Fu'ang Gate and would soon arrive at the Qianyuan Palace.

It is not yet dawn, and Guangluqing Luo Yuan should not appear in the palace, so Chun Tuo placed Luo Yuan in the north of Qianyuan Palace to temporarily hide and rest. Then, Chun Tuo returned to Dongque and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Guangluqing has arrived, and the slave maid has placed him in Beique." The King of Ganzi is also about to arrive. ”

Xiao Tuyu had already finished freshening up, and nodded without saying a word

Xiao Shihuan entered Dongque with a red face and swollen eyes, and when he saw Xiao Tuyou, he knelt down, kowtowed three times, and lay on the ground and couldn't get up. Xiao Tuyou hurriedly said, "Shihuan, what are you doing?" They are all close relatives, what are you doing? Before dawn, you came in the palace, and you made such a big ceremony, what do you think is going on? ”

"Your Majesty! Please make your majesty's decision! Then he made another great salute, and then fell to his knees and began to cry bitterly.

Tuyu bent down to help Xiao Shihuan, ushered him into his seat, and said, "Shihuan, what's wrong with you?" What's the matter, just say it. How I treat my clansmen, don't you know? How much more is it your business? ”

"Your Majesty, the minister's youngest grandson was poisoned."

"Huh?!" Xiao Shihuan pretended to be shocked and asked in a panic: "This, this, how can this be?" When? ”

Xiao Shihuan shed tears and told the story from beginning to end. Of course, the fact that the emperor was suffering from a hidden illness was wisely omitted. Other than that, nothing is missing.

Xiao Tuyou even burst into tears, holding Xiao Shihuan's arm tightly with a sad face, and said sadly: "Pity my good nephew and grandson." When I saw him a few days ago, I really liked him, but I didn't expect to be harmed by gangsters. Shi Huan, this matter must be strictly investigated to the end, and the gangsters must not be allowed to go unpunished. Shihuan, don't worry, I will definitely seek justice for our followers. The emperor's grief touched Xiao Shihuan again, and Xiao Shihuan once again burst into tears.

Looking at Xiao Shihuan, who was hiding his face and crying, Xiao Tuyu quickly regained his composure and said, "Shihuan, Xun'er is really pitiful. You are my dearest flesh and blood, the founding meritorious king, and I can't treat you badly. I made a decree to posthumously seal him as the "King of Dunmin County", and I hereby allow him to be buried with the rites of the King of the County. What do you think? ”

Hearing this, Xiao Shihuan felt a little calmer, and saluted sideways: "The minister bows to thank Your Majesty Longen." ”

Xiao Tuyou said: "Shihuan, you mourn first. The top priority at the moment is to ascertain the facts of the case as soon as possible and find out the real culprit. Shihuan, what do you claim? Although, I'm all right. Everything is to facilitate the investigation of the case! ”

King Ganzi stood up, knelt down again, and said in a loud voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty." The minister has nothing to repay, but the liver and brain are smeared on the ground, and the body is broken to repay His Majesty's grace! The minister has the courage to ask His Majesty to give a few special orders. ”

"You say."

"First, I implore Your Majesty to issue an order to immediately seal the Yulin Garden, not to allow anyone to enter or leave, and I implore the guards of His Majesty's special ministers to enter the Yulin Garden together with the Nangong guards to search."

"Accurate!"

"Second, I implore Your Majesty to issue an order to immediately detain the relevant people around the Yulin Garden, and I implore the guards of Your Majesty's special ministers and Nangong guards to interrogate the situation of entering and leaving the Yulin Garden the day before yesterday."

"Accurate!"

"Third, I implore Your Majesty to immediately detain the inner servants who were on duty in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Taimiao the day before yesterday and the Rongzhu Gongzi Rongya who was in the Xinuan Pavilion when he was drinking poisonous tea, and interrogate the guards of the special ministers and the guards of the Nangong together."

"Huh? How can there be a melting cliff involved? ”

"Your Majesty, Xun'er was the white jade cup that she received from Rongya's hand at that time."

"Oh. Then you should check the Melting Cliffs. But it's going to be fine. However, it always hurts to look it up. Okay, that's it. ”

"Please also ask Your Majesty to issue an order to temporarily block the news of Xun'er's poisoning, so as to prevent outsiders from speculating and taking advantage of it."

The last special purpose of the king of Ganzi is actually what Tuyu thinks in his heart. The matter involves the king of Beiling County, and before it is ascertained, it is best not to let the king of Beiling County know about it, otherwise, the two county kings will come here to cry, and the emperor will be left and right.

Without hesitation, Tuyu said, "Yes." Chuntuo, you go and preach the first three wills. Then he turned to the king of Ganzi County and said, "Shihuan, the people who know about this now, except for me and Chuntuo, are all the imperial doctors, Zongzhengcheng and Shaofu Cheng who went to your palace, as well as the people from your palace, and the fourth special order for you to pass it on yourself." In addition, I would like to give you a special order: Du Gong, the court commander, together with Zong Zhengqing, Shaofu Qing (3), Huangmen Shilang (4), Wei Weiqing, and the Shaofu Cheng Guan, will secretly try this case together. Well, it happened in the Taimiao, where else can the real murderer go?! Therefore, there must be a statement today. As soon as it is found out, play me immediately. I'm going to listen to the Dugon recital later today. Shihuan, you go back to the palace first. Mourning! It's come to this, and your bones matter. Trust me, I'll give you an explanation. I will definitely do justice to my good nephew and grandchild. ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The king of Ganzi County, Xiao Shihuan, retired.

Chun Tuo introduced Guangluqing into Dongque, and then retreated to pass on the decree.

Just now, Yu Yuan was not idle in Beique. He is a close confidant of Xiao Tuyou, who has only succeeded to the throne for a month, and a new example has been formed in the palace: the north of the Qianyuan Palace is exclusively for the use of Guangluqing Yuan. Sometimes, when Tuyu summoned ministers and handled government affairs in the front hall of Qianyuan Palace, Luo Yuan would take a very small number of Guangluxun (5) cronies to do things in Beique, and wait for the emperor's dispatch in the front hall at any time. Just when the king of Ganzi County, Xiao Shihuan, was crying in Dongque to complain about the request, Luo Yuan had already sent someone to complete the things that should be settled and assigned, one by one.

In the east que, Tuyu frowned, staring at Yu Yuan. Yu Yuan knelt down, leaned over and bowed, "The minister deserves to die." Things didn't work out neatly. Your Majesty, please. ”

As soon as these words of self-reproach were said, the gentle temperament of the figure came again. His brow furrowed, the anger on his face half faded, and he sighed and said, "Hey...... You, you! Let me say what's good about you? The face was a helpless, regretful, and unbearable look.

"Death penalty!"

"What's the use of you saying that now?! Get up. Now, you don't have to hold yourself too accountable. Think about what to do next! ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Luo Yuanji stood up, his demeanor had returned to his usual calm and composed, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, it is all the minister's improper measures, which have made Your Majesty worried. ”

"I've said it all, don't pursue it anymore. Let's talk about what to do next. ”

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the current joint is not here with the king of Ganzi County, but with the king of Beiling County. The poison, under the white jade cup, is clearly aimed at the king of Beiling County. On the side of the king of Ganzi, it is not difficult to do. As long as the person who poisoned him is found, Ling Chi is executed, and the king of Ganzi County is relieved of his hatred, there will be nothing to do. However, the king of Beiling County knew that he was the target of poisoning, and the incident happened in Taimiao, if it was not clear about the capture, His Majesty would be deeply hated by the king of Beiling County. This is where the capital offense lies. ”

Xiao Tuyu nodded and said, "Now that you have thought about this, then the situation will not be any worse. Go on. ”

"Ah, Your Majesty. There are several things that need to be dealt with urgently, and the minister has already taken appropriate measures. Your Majesty need not worry for the time being. Now there are two difficulties. The first difficulty is that Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo, who were sent by Chun Tuo to settle this matter yesterday, have disappeared. They disappeared yesterday at noon, before the poison had been poisoned, and the matter had not yet been revealed. Therefore, Chuntuo and I speculated that Qiutuo and Dongtuo were likely to run away because things were messed up and they were afraid of being punished. What the minister is worried about is that if they are caught by someone, once they are tortured and all of them are said, as soon as the matter is exposed, we and the king of Beiling County will completely tear our faces. Therefore, just now, the minister sent Guangluxun's people and Nangong guards to secretly search Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo. During the mourning period, no one could enter or leave the Holy Capital without a holy decree, so these two people must still be in the Holy Capital. Even if the minister digs three feet into the ground, he must find them out. ”

"Good. Once found, kill them immediately. ”

"Ah, Your Majesty. The second difficulty is to find another scapegoat. ”

"Scapegoat? Looking for another one? What do you mean? You've arranged a scapegoat before? ”

"Your Majesty, previously, the minister and Chuntuo deduced that if the poisoning operation was successful, and the king of Beiling County was violent late at night, and no one found out that he was poisoned by Purple Star Roland, then everything would be fine; In case the people around the king of Beiling County realize that he has been poisoned by the Purple Star Roland, it will inevitably cause great suspicion of His Majesty by the kings of the county, which will cause turmoil in the court. This scapegoat must have the motive to poison, and even more so the opportunity to poison, so there must be three conditions, one is to have a big enmity with the king of Beiling County, the second is to be on duty in the Taimiao, and the third is to know where the secret medicine and the purple star Roland needed to configure the secret medicine and the secret medicine are placed. And, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo are the scapegoats carefully found by the ministers and Chun Tuo. ”

"Oh?! However, there is one thing I don't understand. Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo are my attendants, and it is not difficult to know that I am sick and need to prepare secret medicines, and where to place them; It is not difficult for them to go to the Taimiao Temple to be on duty. But what kind of hatred can Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo have with the king of Beiling County, so hatred that they can risk Ling Chi's death and poison the king of Beiling County? ”

"Your Majesty doesn't know. This starts with the origins of Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo. Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo were originally noble, they were the descendants of the Heyuan County during the Da Gao Holy Dynasty, and they were the two nephews of the then King of Heyuan County. Forty years ago, the king of Heyuan rebelled. Emperor Renjochun (6), on behalf of the Son of Heaven, sent troops to fight and destroyed the rebellion of the king of Heyuan in one fell swoop. After that, the whole family of the king of Heyuan County was strictly sent, and all people over the age of four were executed, and the young men under the age of four were castrated and then enslaved in the palace, and the young girls under the age of four were not entered into official prostitutes. Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo were both less than two years old at the time, so they entered the palace as chamberlains after castration. ”

"Oh! I see. I know a little bit about this. After the defeat of the king of Heyuan County, the Heyuan County was merged into the Beiling County State, which I know. But I was still very young at the time of the disposition of the Heyuan Junwang family, and I really didn't know anything about it. But how could Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo know about this? ”

"I didn't know. Before this operation, Chun Tuo deliberately told Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo about this. ”

"Tell them about this, is it to make Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo hate the king of Beiling County? Then didn't they also hate me and the emperor? Emperor Xian and I are also descendants of Beiling."

"Your Majesty is reassured. The minister and Chun Tuo just wanted to find a plausible reason, not really to give birth to their hatred for the Xiao clan, otherwise, His Majesty's safety would also be greatly affected. Besides, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo were castrated into the palace as slaves when they were infants, and there was no trace of yang energy on their bodies. When they heard about this, they only lamented the impermanence of fate and had no intention of revenge. In addition, in addition to informing them of their origins, the minister also promised Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo that after the matter was completed, they were authorized to find a nephew outside the palace and give them the surname of the former Heyuan County royal family, which can be regarded as renewing the incense for the late Heyuan County King. They didn't even have any interest in this, they just said, 'What is fake is fake, and it wasn't raised in their own womb, so it doesn't matter if they can continue it or not.'" It can be seen that they really don't care about things like their origins and bloodline. Later, the minister and Chuntuo promised them a huge amount of money, which made them moved. ”

"Good. However, Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo have now disappeared out of thin air, how can this be good? ”

"If you can find them, that's all it says. After they were defeated, they absconded in fear of crime, which only confirmed their crime of poisoning. Once caught, they are immediately put to death. In this way, there is no proof of death, and it is justified. I'm afraid that these two people won't see anyone alive or dead. ”

"If you don't see a person alive or a dead body, isn't it still possible to inflict the sin of poisoning on them? Why not? ”

"What the minister is worried about is that if the blame is put on the two of them, once the Ming edict is made public, these two people will have no way to live, but will force them to go to the king of Beiling County or the king of Ganzi County to tell the truth, in order to survive. In this case, the overall situation will be completely disrupted. ”

"How's that good?"

"The top priority is to lay a net and find Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo as soon as possible; The second is to touch another scapegoat. It's just that this scapegoat is really hard to find. ”

"Hey! You. Tuyu complained, "You should go and deal with this matter quickly." Be prepared, in case the king of Beiling County is holding on to it, and you can't find a way to deal with it here, then act in advance, and come clearly, it's okay, it's all about to do sooner or later. The territory of Beiling County is too wide, and it is always a scourge to keep him. The Great Gao Holy Dynasty relied on the military strength of the king of Beiling County to quell the rebellion of the nations; The first emperor relied on the strong reinforcement of the king of Beiling County, and overthrew the Dagao Holy Dynasty as a mere Wei Weiqing; I'm not also ......, in short, the king of Beiling County must be eliminated, and the country of Beiling County must also be divided, and there must be no strong king of the county in my country! You can plan it well. ”

"Obey the order!"

"Alright, you can step aside." Xiao Tuyu turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped again, and said: "By the way, you ask Chuntuo to clean up the palace attendants, all the servants who were born in the county and were castrated into the palace as slaves after the destruction of the country will be investigated, regardless of whether they know it or not, they are not allowed to do things in the palace." Especially the chamberlains from the royal clan of Heyuan County, who were castrated into the palace as slaves after the destruction of the Heyuan County Kingdom, should be placed separately and strictly guarded. ”

"Obey! The minister did not think it carefully, and keeping these people by his side is indeed a great hidden danger to His Majesty's safety. ”

"What you're talking about is not what I'm thinking about. I want to wait until I catch Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo, and hand over these servants who were born in the royal family of Heyuan County, along with Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo, to the king of Beiling County. To do drama, you have to do something like something. Acting like you and Chuntuo, sloppy and full of loopholes, isn't it a scourge sooner or later? ”

"Your Majesty is wise and decisive! Obey the order! Guangluqing fell to his knees, his back almost soaking wet nervously. This is not because he was blamed by the emperor, but because, for the first time, he felt that this Chongjing Emperor may not be as gentle and easy to control as he originally thought, compared with the previous Prince Yongcheng, there are some indescribable and unexplained changes, these changes came very suddenly, but it seems to have been forebodied; It seemed insignificant, and he couldn't even tell whether there were or didn't these changes occur, but he vaguely felt that these changes were extremely drastic, and he was scared of them. Where exactly are the fears? Why be afraid? I can't say anything.

"Probably the aura brought by the throne of Qianyuan Palace." Rabuchi sometimes comforts himself like this, but Rabuchi himself also hints in his heart that he must serve with more care......

The secret review of the poisoned people began step by step.

The first step is to ban the Nursery and find Purple Star Roland. Under the leadership of Shaofu Cheng Guan Yan, the guards of the Ganzi County Royal Mansion and the Nangong guards carefully searched every corner of the Yulin Garden, and finally found a few Purple Star Rolands at the mouth of a cave in a strange stone forest. Moreover, in the entire Forestry Garden, there is only this Purple Star Roland. When they found it, the flowers of these purple star rowans had been plucked, and only the flower pedicles were still there. Guan Xiao concluded from the dryness of the flower pedicle that the flower should have been plucked two or three days ago. This basically coincides with the time of the murder.

The second step is to detain all those involved in the vicinity of the Forestry. There are three gates in the southwest and north, corresponding to three types of people. The West Gate, the gardener involved in the Forestry, was under the control of the Forestry. The south gate is connected to Taixue, involving the people in Taixue, there is no class in Taixue recently, only the son who comes from the counties to keep the spirit of his father temporarily, Taixue is in charge of sacrificial wine (8), but there is no class during the mourning period, so the responsibility of sacrificing wine is temporarily in the hands of the doctor on duty; The north gate is connected to the Orchestra Workshop, which involves the musicians, and is under the control of the Lieutenant of the Vice-Chancellor (9). Therefore, the court lieutenant Du Gong brought in the forestry order, the doctor on duty, and the lieutenant of the assistant law and carefully checked them one by one.

"During the great funeral, the ladies in the palace did not arrange flowers, so the florists of the Yulin Garden were all in the garden, and no one ever left, and no one entered the Yulin Garden from the west gate of the Yulin Garden. ”

Xielu Duwei reported: "Recently, except for a few musicians on duty, other musicians are on duty in Taimiao, and I haven't seen any musicians enter Yulin Garden from the north gate of Yulin Garden. The ten Ryukawa Mai Girls who temporarily live in the music workshop are also very peaceful, and they never move around. ”

The doctors on duty in Taixue in recent days have said that only after the prince of Rongya finishes his duty every day, that is, when he is a child, he will enter the Yulin Garden, and he will not come back after an hour or two, and the other sons and doctors have never entered the Yulin Garden.

The third step is to arrest the attendant who was on duty in the Xinuan Pavilion of the Taimiao the day before. As a result, among the attendants who were on duty in the Xinuan Pavilion that day, two people were missing, namely Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo. The rest of the chamberlains were all taken into custody and sent to Ruolu Prison to await trial. At the same time, the whole city searched for Qiu Tuo and Dong Tuo.

The fourth step is to arrest and interrogate Rongya. After interrogation, Tingwei Dugong believed that Rongya's answer was full of doubts. Therefore, after discussing with other interrogation officials, Du Gong immediately decided to send Rongya to Ruolu Prison.

The fifth step was to search the Canaan Academy, where Rongya was temporarily staying. The things used in the melting cliff were handed over to the Shaofu Cheng Guan to inspect them one by one. When Guan Yao threw the large wall of the melting cliff into the alum water, the corner of the big wall glowed a bright purple. Guan Xuan concluded that this was the stamene honey of Purple Star Roland. Tong Zi Puguang and the two servants Huang Da and Hu Xia also confessed that after Rongya returned from the Taimiao guard, he would go to Yulin Garden to relax, and he would not come back in an hour or two.

The sixth step is to continue to investigate the melting cliffs. One is to examine the body of the melting cliff. As a result, when the hand of the melting cliff was immersed in the alum water, it also glowed a bright purple color, but it was very light. The second is to take the boots of the melting cliff and compare the footprints in the forestry. There is mud everywhere in the Forestry, so there are many footprints left by the Melting Cliff in the Forestry. After comparison and inspection, it was found that the route of the cliff footprints in the Forestry Garden was very concentrated, except for a few footprints that were slightly scattered, the other footprints were all traveling according to the same route, and the destination was the same place - the Strange Stone Forest, which is the location of Purple Star Roland.

At this point, almost all the evidence points to the Melting Cliffs.

Tingwei Dugong felt relieved in his heart: with these evidences, it was enough to conclude that Rongya was the murderer who poisoned him, and he could return to the emperor.

Concentrate:

1. Zong Zhengqing: The official name, Zong is one of the nine Qings, in charge of the affairs of the royal family, the emperor, the prince, the prince and other clans, as well as the in-laws of relatives and men and women. The supreme official of Zong Zheng is called Zong Zhengqing.

2. Xiaohuangmen: The official name of the eunuch, the level is low.

3. Shaofuqing: official name. Shaofu is one of the nine kings, in charge of the royal family's money and the emperor's food, clothing, housing and transportation. The highest governor of the Shaofu is called the Shaofu Qing.

4, Huangmen Shilang: Eunuch official position. The level is higher.

5, Guangluxun: One of the Nine Qings, in charge of security affairs in the palace. The actual power does not stop there, the emperor's think tank is also concentrated here.

6. Emperor Renzuchun: The father of Emperor Longwu and Emperor Chongjing, the king of the old Beiling County. After Emperor Longwu ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his ancestors and posthumously crowned his father as Emperor Renzu Chun.

7. Forestry Order: Eunuch official position. In charge of the Forestry Garden.

8. Sacrificial wine: the name of the official position. Taichang, who belongs to one of the nine Qings. Tai Chang is in charge of the affairs of the temple, is the head of the Jiuqing, the organization is complex, and the establishment is huge. Priest and Sommelier education.

9. Lieutenant of the Coordinator: Official title. Subordinate to Shaofu, in charge of the music workshop, music rhythm, etc.