Li Ji was very angry, Chen Gong killed his daughter by mistake when Li Hong was assassinated, and he still hasn't settled accounts with Li Hong, but he didn't expect the prince to take the initiative to find his own discomfort.

He has been an official for decades, has served Gaozu and Taizong, and now serves Gaozong, so he naturally knows very well that Empress Wu's ambitions are more than that, and Li Hong, as the crown prince, will definitely retire because of Empress Wu's ambitions. will always be uninterested in Li Hong, the prince, and often stand on the side of the martial arts to speak.

He felt that even if he didn't want to see the prince, this was also human nature, didn't he just stand in line twice reasonably back then, so that he had today's high position? But he didn't expect that the crown prince would hold a grudge because of this, and he would remove him from the position of the crown prince and young guard, wanting to erase his honor.

Li Ji felt that the prince was too deceitful, and if the prince did this, he would not agree.

A fourteen-year-old child, even if you are the crown prince, there is a father and a power-hungry queen mother pressing you, what big waves can you make? That's why when he was summoned to the Zichen Palace by Empress Wu and told him about the prince's dissatisfaction with him, he hurried to the East Palace.

It's just that Li Ji thought that he was not treated by the prince no matter how much, but he was also the first person in the Tang Dynasty military, he was the British duke, and he was the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, and the prince should respect himself, but he didn't expect that he waited in the Chongjiao Hall for an hour and didn't see the shadow of the prince, only the prince's family ordered Yan Zhuang to come to talk to him from time to time, and let people add tea to him a few times.

"What, is the prince still busy?" Seeing Yan Zhuang appear on the Chongjiao Hall again, Li Ji couldn't help but ask. No matter how deep his cultivation is, he is a little impatient to be cold here for an hour.

"Your Highness will be here soon, you will be there soon, and please wait for a while!" Yan Zhuang said with a smile. The prince could offend Li Ji, but he didn't dare to offend this famous general.

"Hmph-" Li Ji snorted coldly and stopped paying attention to Yan Zhuang. And at this moment, he saw Li Hong slowly walking into the Chongjiao Hall.

Today's Li Hong is different from the past, in the past, when he saw Li Ji from afar, he would personally come forward to greet Li Ji, but today he walked in front of Li Ji step by step, staring at Li Ji, without opening his mouth to greet him.

Li Ji knew that the prince wanted him to take the initiative to give a salute, although he was very dissatisfied, but the ministers were different, he still got up and saluted, "Li Ji, see Your Highness!" ”

"No need to be polite!" Li Hong said lightly, walked to the main seat and sat down, and then said to Li Ji, "The British Duke came to the East Palace today, but there is something to report to Lonely?" ”

"Yes." Li Ji said in a calm tone, "Last time about the assassination of His Highness, the old minister had something to ask His Highness. ”

"The British Princess, please." Li Hong said.

"Is there a personal guard general named Chen Gong by His Royal Highness's side?" Li Ji asked.

Li Hong replied, "Yes, he was sent by his father to protect Gu six years ago, and he is now the commander of Gu's guards. ”

"Your Highness, do you know that when you were assassinated, he fought bloodily with the assassins, so much so that he went crazy and killed many civilians?" Li Ji continued to ask.

"I've heard a little." Li Hong nodded slightly.

Li Ji saw that Li Hong looked lazy, and didn't seem to take this matter to heart at all, so he became even more angry, and said in a deep voice, "Does Your Highness know the identity of the deceased?" ”

"Since the British public capital said that it was the common people, then it must be the people of Chang'an." Li Hong replied, "Last time Lone was assassinated, Chen Gong killed people by mistake, and after this case is clarified, Lone will send someone to send them some money." ”

Li Ji was angry, because Li Hong didn't pick up his stubble at all.

"Your Highness, the little girl died at the hands of Chen Gong." Li Ji suppressed the anger in his heart and said coldly.

"Oh-" Li Hong was taken aback, "this lonely is not clear!" How could this be, how could Ling Ai, the British princess, go to that kind of place? ”

Li Ji was also very depressed, how could his own woman go to that place, how did he know? Because the coachman and maid who knew the reason had already died at the hands of Chen Gong with his daughter!

"Your Royal Highness, your personal guard general killed the civilian people by mistake, this is..."Li Ji couldn't hold back any longer, so he said bluntly. It's just that before he finished speaking, Li Hong interrupted, "Don't worry, this matter will be dealt with by Lone, and when Cheng Di Renjie of the Prince's Family Ling Temple returns to Chang'an, Lone will let him deal with it." ”

Cheng of the Prince's Family Ling Temple is the official in charge of the criminal law of the Prince Family Ling Temple in the East Palace, and Chen Gong is a subordinate official of the East Palace, and his crimes are indeed under the control of Di Renjie.

"I'm afraid that's not right!" Li Ji said dissatisfied.

"British duke, you are responsible for tracking down the whereabouts of the murderer, do you have eyebrows now?" Li Hong asked.

"The murderer is very well hidden, and no clues have been found yet." Li Ji replied.

"Do you think Lone will believe it?" Li Hong said with a smile, "On the day of the assassination, the guards around me fought with the assassins for a long time, and I didn't see the Chang'an County officials on duty nearby and the left and right Jinwuwei cavalry patrolling Chang'an City, don't you think there is a problem here?" ”

"Why didn't the official of Chang'an County appear, Zhang Bo, the county magistrate of Chang'an County, had already confessed, saying that he was instructed by Helan Minzhi, but what about Jin Wuwei? Who instructed them? Li Hong asked.

Seeing that Li Ji didn't speak, Li Hong smiled lightly, "Everyone knows that the left and right Jin Wuwei are subordinate to the Nanya, and the governor of the sixteen guards of the Nanya is your British duke, British duke, do you say this case is so difficult to investigate?" ”

"Although the old minister is the governor of the Southern Ya, he never interferes in the military affairs of the Sixteen Guards, and besides, the Sixteen Guards rotate the border gates all the year round, and the old minister can control them so much?" Li Ji said angrily.

"If you are not in your position, you will not seek your own government." Li Hong also said-for-tat, "Since the British Duke is the Metropolitan Governor of the Southern Ya, the mistakes committed by the left and right Jin Wuwei, who are subordinate to the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Ya, should be borne by you." ”

"Hahaha-" Li Ji laughed angrily, "Your Highness's meaning is understood, but Your Highness really wants to do this?" ”

When he said this, Li Ji's body was very straight, and the prestige of a soldier was suddenly revealed, and his body was full of murderous aura.

Li Hong was unmoved by Li Ji's threat, but snorted coldly and said, "The British Duke doesn't seem to understand the meaning of loneliness yet. Gu Xiang said, if you want to investigate Chen Gong's crimes, you must first find out the negligence of Jin Wuwei left and right, how many people have committed crimes, how many people have been negligent, cut as many people, and you catch the murderer and give Lone an explanation, and Lone asks Chen Gong to give you an explanation. ”

Seeing Li Ji glaring at him angrily, Li Hong was still not afraid to continue, "British Duke, don't pretend to be confused, there were no pedestrians on the street when Gu was assassinated, and your mansion is in Wannian County, why did Ling Ai go to Yanshoufang in Chang'an County?" Who told him to go? Why is it so coincidental? ”

"You have dragged on the case of Lone's assassination until now, and you don't dare to strictly investigate the sixteen guards of the Southern Ya, are you unwilling, or are you afraid?" Li Hong sneered, "Are you afraid of finding out the reason why Ling Ai really went to Yanshoufang?" ”

"Your Highness—"

"How?" Li Hong said angrily, "British duke, isn't what Gu said wrong? ”

"You want to punish Chen Gong, Lone is as you wish, but wait until you find out the sixteen guards of the Nanya and then come and talk to Lone!" Li Hong said coldly, "Also, this Lone assassination, Jin Wuwei, the left and right of the sixteen guards of the Southern Ya, was derelict in his duties, as the governor of the Southern Ya, doesn't the British Duke have any responsibility to bear?" The honor of the prince Shaobao should be your apology to Lone! ”

Li Ji was furious, and his face turned red. But Li Hong is a king, he is a minister, can he reprimand Li Hong angrily? Besides, what Li Hong said was very right, he couldn't refute it, he also had a ghost in his heart.

Therefore, seeing that its face changed several times, it still suppressed the anger in its heart, and said to Li Hong, "Today, the old minister can be regarded as having comprehended the prestige of His Royal Highness, and His Royal Highness can rest assured that the old minister will resign from the post of Prince Shaobao." ”

After saying that, he threw up his sleeves and left!

Li Ji only said that he would resign from the post of prince Shaobao but did not say that he would strictly investigate the sixteen guards of the Southern Ya, which is enough to show that he has torn his face with Li Hong.

Watching Li Ji leave angrily, Yan Zhuang said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I'm afraid it's a little inappropriate for you to do this, right?" ”

"What's wrong?" Li Hong asked.

"The prestige of the British Duke among the soldiers is unmatched! Isn't it a pity that we just gave him up. Yan Zhuang said regretfully.

Li Hong sighed slightly and said, "Why do you want to do this? But he is now a very human minister, and he can't give him what he wants, what do you say Lone used to attract him? Besides, he may not look down on the prince Lonely. ”

Yan Zhuang also knew that what the prince said was true, so he was silent.

"Your Highness, it's not good, something is wrong!"

At this moment, Chen Gong hurriedly walked into the main hall, he didn't have time to give Li Hong a salute, but said with a blue face, "Your Highness, Mr. Zhao and Wu Youzhi are dead. ”

"What?" Li Hong was shocked, "How did they die?" And when did he die? ”

"Just now, when I received the order and led people to Chang'an County Yada Prison to set up defenses, I found that they were already dead, and they were poisoned." Chen Gong said.

"Who's the murderer?" Li Hong asked, and scolded angrily, "Even the two prisoners can't stand it, what are Zhang Cambodia, Li Qiao, and Luo Bingwang eating?" ”

Li Hong wants to bargain with Empress Wu on the case of Helan Minzhi, the confessions of Mr. Zhao and Wu Youzhi are always bargaining chips, and now that the two are dead, Mr. Zhao's confession has become dead without proof, Wu Youzhi's confession has not been obtained, Li Hong has lost the capital to bargain with Empress Wu, can he not be angry?

"The murderer is Cui County Order." Chen Gong said, "After poisoning Mr. Zhao and Wu Youzhi, he also committed suicide in the study. ”

When Li Hong heard Chen Gong's explanation, he only thought about it slightly, and he no longer blamed Zhang Khan Zhi, Li Qiao and Luo Bingwang. Because if Cui Yuan, the county magistrate of Chang'an County, did something to Mr. Zhao and Wu Youzhi in prison, even Zhang Khan Zhi, Li Qiao and Luo Binwang would be wary of him, and they would not be able to guard against him.

"Let's go, go to Chang'an County!" Li Hong said.

Now the only thing he can do is to go to the study of the county government Cui Yuan to see if he can find any useful clues...