Early that morning, before Sui Gaozu Yang Jian left for Linde Hall to deal with the country, he was blocked in Zhengyang Palace by Gao Ying, the left servant of Shangshu, and reported to him the latest progress of the re-investigation of the cat ghost case: It was Dugu Tuo, the half-brother of the general of the left army and the queen Dugu Jialuo, who controlled the cat ghost to commit repeated thefts.

Yang Jian often stayed in the splendid palace where Xuanhua's wife Chen Weiyang lived during the queen's illness a few days ago, and he was already guilty of Duguhou, and he heard Gao Ying report early this morning, saying that Pei Yun had led someone to find out that Dugutuo was the behind-the-scenes manipulator of the cat ghost case, Yang Jian couldn't help muttering in his heart: The queen still doesn't know the truth that the third prince Qin Wang Yang Jun was poisoned by the princess Cui's family, and her brother was found to be the key culprit who manipulated the cat ghost to intrude the forbidden palace, and she was recovering from a serious illness.

When Yang Jian was hesitating whether to give a secret decree to Gao Ying, ordering him to quietly close the cat ghost case and find another reason to demote Dugu Tuo to guard the border, Dugu Jialuo got the news from nowhere, and also came to the main hall of Zhengyang Palace and asked about Gao Ying's intention.

Gao Ying didn't know what the emperor was thinking, and told Dugu Hou the truth without concealment, as soon as Dugu Jialuo heard that he had manipulated cats and ghosts to commit repeated thefts, and even rushed into the palace, he was so frightened that the first culprit of Xiao E's miscarriage of Princess Jin turned out to be his brother Dugu Tuo, so angry that he asked Yang Jian to go to the prison with her on the spot, and asked Dugu Tuo about the reason in person.

Yang Jian knew that things were going to happen: Dugu Jialuo had always been very strict with his mother's family, and if she verified that Dugu Tuo was indeed the culprit of the cat ghost case in person, I was afraid that he would be more than lucky this time. Thinking like this, Yang Jian cleared his throat and wanted to open his mouth to dissuade Dugu Jialuo from going to the heavenly prison to interrogate Dutuo in person.

Who knows, before he could speak, Dugu Jialuo coldly rejected: "Ah Yi was poisoned by the Cui family, and the emperor spared her life without telling his concubine, this time will let go of the murderer who mutilated my little granddaughter (referring to Xiao E's miscarriage)?" ”

Yang Jian's face changed, and he secretly thought to himself: Who revealed the fact that Yang Jun was poisoned by the Cui family to the queen? But he didn't dare to stop him anymore, so he had to go out of the palace with Dugu Jialuo to go to the prison to ask about the case.

Pei Yun was also forced to be helpless, so he learned to Gao Ying the truth about the discovery of the cat ghost hiding in the prison, but he didn't expect Gao Ying to listen to his report, and at the same time strictly ordered him to take people to the prison to arrest Dugutuo, he reported the case to Yang Jian so quickly, and what was even more unexpected was that the emperor and the queen drove to the prison that day.

Pei Yun had a hunch that things were developing rapidly in the direction he didn't want to see: Dugutuo would most likely bite the crown prince Yang Yong, and his previous dereliction of duty in hastily closing the case would eventually be exposed. However, Pei Yun also clearly knew that with his current status, he could not give the slightest hint to Dugutuo, who had been arrested, and prevent him from telling the emperor and empress that the cat ghost case was related to the East Palace. How is this good?

However, although the final development of events was somewhat expected by Pei Yun, the result was greatly unexpected by him.

Dugu Tuo was really as he expected, as soon as he saw his sister's face, he opened his mouth and bit the crown prince Yang Yong, and wept bitterly and forced the prince Neifang Ling Ji Wei to swoop him and forced Xu Ani, the palace maid who had been punished out of the palace, to disguise herself as a cat ghost and steal the wealth of Yang Su's family, and told Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo about it, begging the emperor and queen to spare his life.

Yang Jian listened to Dugu Tuo's confession, did not wait for Dugu Jialuo to express his position, and was furious on the spot, and immediately ordered the general of the left guard, Yuan Gao, to personally lead people to the East Palace to arrest Ji Wei to confront Dugu Tuo, and specially confessed to Yuan Gao, if Ji Wei resisted in fear of sin, he could be killed on the spot.

Pei Yun heard the emperor's edict on the side, and couldn't help but secretly rejoice in his heart: It seems that the emperor also intends to take Ji Wei as a blame and intends to protect the prince.

However, just as Pei Yun secretly rejoiced: as long as Ji Wei died, not only could Dugutuo take off the hat of the head offender of the cat ghost case and put it on Ji Wei's head, which was expected to be lightly punished, but his previous dereliction of duty would also be ignored by the emperor with Ji Wei's death, but unexpectedly, his own master, Yang Guang, the king of Jin, escorted Xiao Rushui to the prison.

Yang Guang actually ordered the court to arrest the rebel for many years, and Xiao Rushui, the great protector of the "Wild Goose's Nest", was captured alive and taken to the prison, hearing this news, the attention of everyone present, including Yang Jian and Gao Ying, immediately shifted from Dugutuo to Xiao Rushui, who was escorted into the prison by Li Jing and Guo Yan.

"Are you Xiao Rushui?" Yang Jian peeked at Duguhou's reaction beside him with the corner of his eye, and asked Xiao Rushui.

"Haha, Xiao can see the Great Sui Emperor in his lifetime, and his death is worth it." Xiao Rushui stared at Yang Jian with straight eyes, and laughed on his back.

Somehow, Yang Jian heard Xiao Rushui's almost poignant laughter, but felt a chill running from his back, avoiding Xiao Rushui's cold gaze, turning to Yang Guang and asking, "Ah Zong, when and where did you catch Xiao Rushui?" ”

Yang Guang did not mention that he forcibly escorted Xiao Rushui from the East Palace to his father for disposal, and only arrested Li Jing for Yuen Long according to the portrait of the man in white.

"Since Xiao Rushui was caught by you, today in front of me and the queen, it is up to you to interrogate him." Yang Jian turned his head and glanced at Dugu Jialuo, and saw that she was also staring at Xiao Rushui, so he instructed Yang Guangdao.

"Son's command." Yang Guang gave a salute to his father and queen mother, turned around and walked in front of Xiao Rushui, and asked him, "Since you know that you can't escape death, I don't want to lie to you, as long as you tell the truth about what you have done over the years, I will explain to my father and emperor and give you a happy death, how about it?" ”

Xiao Rushui smiled, held his head high and said, "Xiao has done too many things, and I can't even remember them." Let's have a reminder from Lord Lao. ”

"Let me ask you, how did you instruct Gu Sheng to sneak outside the Guanwai to lobby the Turks to raise troops to attack Sui, and how did you order Zhang Zhongjian to rush from Jiangnan to Guanwai to meet Gu Sheng?"

Hearing Yang Guang's question, a look of surprise flashed on Xiao Rushui's face, and then he replied with a smile: "Gu Sheng is originally from my 'Wild Goose's Nest', and I ordered him to do things as the Great Protector of the 'Wild Goose's Nest', why not?" As for the way that the prince wants to know about our way of delivering the news, please forgive Xiao and have nothing to say. ”

"Eight years ago, there was a haunt in Daxing Palace, does this matter have anything to do with you?" Yang Guang was quite satisfied with Xiao Rushui's frank admission that he had instructed Gu Sheng to rebel, and asked a question that Xiao Rushui did not expect.