Ye Nanqing finally came to the outside of the palace, he got off the sedan chair with a serious expression, looked at everyone and didn't speak. The six Shangshu all looked at Ye Nanqing, trying to find some hints from his eyes, but they were disappointed in the end.

At this time, a small yellow door led a group of people to approach and said: "Ye Xiangye, adults, long live the lord considering the cold weather and the freezing ground, I specially give all the adults the right to ride in the sedan chair in the palace." ”

Everyone looked at Ye Nanqing together, and after he sat in the soft sedan chair with a "hmm", the others sat up. It is said that it is a soft sedan car, but in fact, it is a padded shoulder, which can neither shelter from the rain nor the wind. Lux lifted the sedan chair and walked like flying, and everyone was even more frozen. Ma Desheng was trotted behind the sedan chair by the small yellow door, and after a while, he began to pant.

At this time, it was already the middle of the day, and the cold wind of the night penetrated through the cracks in the official uniforms, making them shiver and their faces pale. In the silent palace, only the footsteps of the wrestlers and the collision of the iron armor feathers of the Jin Ge guards in the distance made the originally cold air breathe through a sense of solemnity.

After walking for more than half an hour, everyone arrived at the West Garden. After getting off the soft sedan chair, everyone didn't care about the loss of honor in front of the palace, and they all secretly stomped their feet on the ground to warm up their bodies. Ye Nanqing frowned slightly when he heard the movement, and everyone who was alert stopped their movements together, and then stood in order and waited for the emperor to summon him.

Ma Desheng took a few deep breaths, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then entered the hall to report. "Long live the lord, Ye Xiangye and all the adults have arrived, and they are waiting outside the hall to be summoned."

The hall was as warm as spring, but there was not the slightest smell of fireworks. Emperor Jianping calmly used a pair of gold scissors to cut a huge candle next to the desk, as the wick was cut short, the candlelight shook and dimmed, and then became brighter, completely missing the previous angry appearance. He didn't make a sound when he heard Ma Desheng's report, but after cutting the candle core of another giant candle short, he took the silk silk handed over by the eunuch and wiped his hands, and then said: "Desheng, you said that if this candle is dim, do you have to cut the candle core a little shorter to make it brighter?" ”

"Long Live Lord is really clear-sighted, and the minions usually do the same when they serve Long Live Lord." Ma Desheng replied respectfully with a bow. Although he didn't know what he meant by this sentence, he knew that he just had to answer truthfully. Because the emperor will not like a slave who pretends to be smart, as long as the slave is loyal and obedient enough.

Emperor Jianping continued to ask expressionlessly, "Then do you think there is any other way?" ”

Ma Desheng thought for a while before replying: "The slave is stupid, and he really doesn't know that there is any other way. ”

Emperor Jianping looked at the candle and said casually: "I don't know if you are really stupid or fake." If you don't want to trim the core, you can change the candle. ”

Ma Desheng pretended to have an expression of sudden realization, "Long live the Lord is really a saint, the minion has never thought of this method." ”

"Alright, alright. It's a little cold outside, so let's call the ministers in. After saying that, thinking of the prince's affairs, his face became gloomy again.

"The ministers knock on the emperor, long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

"Ye Qing's family, all the Qing families are flat. Come, sit. ”

"Thank you for your grace!" The ministers were shivering from the cold outside just now, and when they entered the hall, they felt a little itchy on their bodies, but they didn't dare to move at will, so they could only move a few times while sitting down.

"Tonight, there are all the secretaries of the palace entering the palace, and there is really something important to discuss. cough cough cough cough ......" As he spoke, Emperor Jianping coughed again, but he quickly suppressed it.

Ye Nanqing said: "Please make it clear to the emperor." ”

Emperor Jianping picked up the fold on the desk and said, "Ye Aiqing, you and all the secretaries should take a look at this letter." How to deal with it, say it truthfully, and don't have any prevarication. ”

Ye Nanqing took it and looked at it, and then his face changed greatly, showing a look of shock. Then he handed the fold to the official Shangshuen Shouxin next to him, and then closed his eyes and said nothing, his face was extremely ugly. After the others watched the folds, the same was true, among which Yi Mingtao, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, was the most.

Without waiting for others to finish reading, Yi Mingtao stood up and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the minister impeached Xia Guoyuan for failing to fulfill his responsibilities as a famous teacher, insulting the crown prince Shengcong, and the crime is appalling. If it is not dealt with strictly, it will be a disaster for the society of the country. I beg the emperor to be clear! After speaking, he bowed to the end, and did not stand up straight.

Cai Zhongping, the head of the household, glanced at Ye Nanqing with the afterglow of his eyes, and saw that the other party was still closing his eyes, as if he was not paying attention, and he also stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the prince is quick to think and has a good character, and he deserves to be carved by a famous teacher, showing his hidden talent." However, Xia Guoyuan was a vain minister, and he actually taught the prince anti-poetry, trying to bewitch the prince. This 'August was frost-free and the grass was green, and the general rode out of the empty city. The emperor of the Han family patrolled the west, and he still asked for troops from Jiangdong', which clearly implied that the country was in danger. The minister's impeachment of Xia Guoyuan is a negative to the emperor's grace, and it should be dealt with strictly, severely, and quickly. ”

Emperor Jianping was still expressionless, looked at the others and said, "Yi Aiqing is flat." What do the rest of Aiqing think? He saw the others sitting on the stool and bowed their heads silently, and asked directly, "Kang Qingjia, what do you think should be done?" ”

Shangshu Kang Jiuquan of the Criminal Department bowed down and replied: "If you go back to the emperor, Weichen thinks that you should investigate clearly before making a decision. After all, what this piece of music said was just the words of the prince's family, and it was not enough to rely on? ”

Cai Zhongping, the head of the household department, shouted loudly when he heard this: "Kang Jiuquan, what are your intentions? Are you saying that the crown prince will frame Xia Guoyuan? Such an obvious flaw can be debunked by anyone, how could Liang Wendao be so ignorant! This matter involves His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and it must be dealt with as soon as possible, and it cannot be delayed again and again. ”

"Master Cai, as the secretary of the Criminal Department, this official pays the most attention to evidence in handling cases on weekdays. If a man can be condemned with a mouth, then what is the use of the law? Kang Jiuquan replied lightly.

"You! Outrageous! The old man sees you as ill-intentioned. Cai Zhongping shook his sleeves vigorously and said.

"Lord Cai, you have to talk about evidence when you speak, and please be cautious!"

"Okay, stop arguing." Emperor Jianping stopped the two of them, and then asked, "Ye Aiqing, what do you think of this matter?" ”

Ye Nanqing heard Emperor Jianping's question, so he opened his eyes and bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, Xia Ge is always the teacher's teacher, and he has the grace to carry him. The so-called 'the father is hidden for the son, and the son is hidden for the father, and it is directly in it', this matter is inconvenient for the minister to say. He also asked the emperor to allow his ministers to recuse themselves from this matter. ”

"Well, this matter really makes Aiqing embarrassed, then you don't want to get involved in this matter anymore." Emperor Jianping looked at everyone and said: "Kang Jiuquan, the Shangshu of the Criminal Department, Yan Wenzheng, the Qing of Dali Temple, and Ling Qingqiu, the Imperial Shi of Zuodu, will conduct the interrogation of the three divisions, and Cao Wenbing, commanded by the Espionage Department, will assist in the investigation. I will keep an eye on the progress of the case and hope that you will judge the case impartially. ”

After Emperor Jianping finished speaking, Yi Mingtao, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, said: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because of entrusting the crown prince to the hands of one person that such an unbelievable thing will occur. In order to prevent the incident from happening again, the minister asked the emperor to hire a famous teacher for the crown prince again. ”

Emperor Jianping frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Accurate! Yi Aiqing has drawn up a list in the past few days and submitted it. When the time comes, I'll make up my mind. ”

"Obey orders!"

After dealing with the matter, everyone withdrew from the main hall. At this time, they could not open the palace gate again, so they went to the front hall to rest under the leadership of Xiao Huangmen.

Walking to the shadow of a laurel tree, the corners of Ye Nanqing's mouth curved upward, and he was still expressionless when he entered the moonlight.