Chapter 126: Suspicion (I)
Xie Zheng had lunch with the Huan brothers in the front yard, and was about to walk back to the backyard, she was talking and laughing with Yuzhi, when she suddenly heard a hurried call from the porter: "Xie Niangzi!" ”
The porter hurried up, Xie Zheng turned back as soon as he heard the call, and the porter said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has come to look for you." ”
"Oh? Prince? Xie Zheng looked at the door of the mansion, and really saw Xiao Zhen standing with his hands in his hands, standing at the door, but facing the outside of the mansion and his back to the mansion.
Xie Zheng walked quickly and called softly: "Your Highness." ”
Xiao Zhen turned around when he heard this, and looked at Xie Zheng, but his brows were tightly locked, and there seemed to be a thousand sorrows in his eyes.
Xie Zheng sensed that something was wrong, so he was naturally surprised, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with Your Highness?" ”
Xiao Zhen didn't answer, only sighed softly.
He was still sad, and Xie Zheng had no choice but to say, "Come in and talk about it." ”
Xie Zheng said that, he turned around and walked towards the guest hall, and Xiao Zhen followed closely behind.
When the two arrived at the guest hall, until they sat down, Xie Zheng opened his mouth first and asked, "But is it because of Cheng Rate?" ”
After careful calculation, Xiao Daocheng should have interrogated the process rate today, and now that Xiao Zhen is looking for it, she knows with her toes that it must be the result of Cheng Shu's case, which has not satisfied him.
She spoke lightly, not in a hurry or annoyed, and picked up the teapot to give Yuzhi a look.
Yuzhi understood, so he took the teapot and went to pour tea for Xiao Zhen.
Xiao Zhen sighed again and said: "Today, when my father interrogated Cheng Hui, when Zheng Hui escorted him to the Shiqian Palace, he actually took out a short sword from his sleeve and tried to kill the king, but fortunately, the third child blocked a sword for his father. ”
"Killing the king?" Xie Zheng was stunned, she turned her head sideways, glanced outside the guest hall, and saw that there was no one outside, so she asked Xiao Zheng: "Your Highness just said that King Linchuan blocked the sword for His Majesty?" ”
Xiao Zheng was silent, only nodded, Xie Zheng took a deep breath, and pondered carefully in his heart.
"I'm afraid this matter is not so simple," Xie Zheng said thoughtfully.
When Xiao Xun heard this, he immediately shook his head, and he said: Do you think too? ”
Xie Zheng took a sip of tea without hurry, and then analyzed: "The crime of killing the king, regardless of success or failure, is inevitable to death, but what Cheng Cheng committed is just a personal use of power, if you want to be sentenced, at most exile to Lingnan, he was originally guilty of not death, how could he risk committing the capital crime of the Nine Clans." ”
Xiao Zhen also said: "I'm afraid he is being threatened." ”
Xie Zheng laughed, she turned her head to look at Yuzhi, and asked, "Yuzhi, you followed you outside the city last night, did the group of black-clothed people just tell Cheng Shu to flee to the tea shop?" Is there a threat to him to kill the king? ”
Yuzhi shook his head, and Xie Zheng thought about it: "It seems that after Cheng Shu was escorted back to Tingwei Prison, the King of Linchuan sent people over. ”
Xiao Zhen sat opposite, confused, and asked, "What man in black?" Could it be that someone robbed the prison last night? ”
Zheng Hui listened to Xiao Ye's instructions and did not make public the robbery of the prison last night, so Xiao Zhen naturally didn't know about it.
Yuzhi explained that "the lady was worried that the king of Linchuan would send someone to kill Cheng Rate, so she ordered the slave to sneak into the Tingwei Prison to secretly protect Cheng Rate, last night four black-clothed people broke into the Tingwei Prison and killed Cheng Rate, and robbed Cheng Rate, and the slave followed them all the way to the outside of the city, and heard them say that they came to save people on the order of the King of Linchuan, and also told Cheng Shui to flee to the tea shop in the south of the city to avoid trouble. But as soon as the black-clothed men left, Cheng Shu was taken back by the court captain. ”
"Is that so?" Xiao Zhen Fang was a little surprised when he learned about this, and Xie Zheng said: "In my humble opinion, this must be their plan to get away with it, in order to clear up the relationship with Cheng Shu's case. ”
"The third child has such a mind?"
Xiao Ying is stupid, this has always been a topic of conversation between the brothers, Xiao Zhen knew that Xiao Ying couldn't think of such a clever plan, so he sarcastically said.
Xie Zheng sneered and agreed, "He doesn't have it, but Concubine Xie does." Today, the king of Linchuan blocked a sword for His Majesty, not only cleared the suspicion, but also became a great hero with meritorious service. ”
"That'...... Isn't your design a failure? ”
Xie Zheng smiled bitterly, "It's just a failure, but it also fuels the arrogance of King Linchuan, it's really ......" She was really angry, she gritted her teeth, quite annoyed, and then said: "It's no wonder that there is a Xie Guifei next to King Linchuan who gives him advice, otherwise, with his means alone, he would have been convicted together with Cheng Yu." ”
Huan Rang stood outside the guest hall, hiding behind the wall, listening to everything in his ears, he heard Xiao Zhen and Xie Zheng's words, his heart was shocked, and he suddenly reacted, it turned out that Cheng Zheng's matter was actually designed by Xie Zheng!
He stood close to the wall, his brows furrowed, and he was thinking about it, Huan Ling and Zeng Qionglin walked over from not far away, and when he saw him standing outside the guest hall like this, he couldn't help but be a little suspicious, so he asked, "Zhong Xuan, what are you doing standing outside?" ”
When Xie Zheng and Xiao Zhen in the guest hall heard this, they all became vigilant, and looked cautiously outside the guest hall together, their eyes like torches.
And Huan Rang was listening to the root of the wall with all his attention, and he didn't know that Huan Ling was coming, and he was startled by him, his body trembled, so he looked at Huan Ling, and while walking away from the root of the wall, he replied in a snort: "Oh...... I...... I ......"
At that time, Xie Zheng and Xiao Zhen had also walked out, Xie Zheng and Wang saw Huan Rang, knowing that he must have heard the conversation between her and Xiao Zhen, and he couldn't help but be a little defensive in his heart, but he pretended to be surprised, and called: "Zhong Xuan? Why are you here? ”
Xiao Zhen didn't know Huan Rang, so he was at a loss, he stretched out his hand and pointed at Huan Rang, and asked Xie Zheng: "Who is this?" ”
Huan Ling came close and said with a smile: "This is the younger brother, with a single name and the word 'let', the word Zhongxuan, and the second in the family. ”
"Oh, it turned out to be Huan Erlang," Xiao Zhen looked at Huan Rang, but Huan Rang was flustered for a moment and didn't know what to do, so he only nodded at Xiao Chen, showing a sneer.
Xiao Zhen saw that he didn't salute, he was really stunned for a moment, he didn't lose his temper, he still had a slight smile on his face, but Huan Ling was not very embarrassed, and explained: "My brother is afraid of life, it's not that he doesn't know the etiquette, Your Highness is not surprised." ”
Huan Ling looked at Xiao Zhen as an enemy, and his eyes were very red, but he still had to be polite when he should be polite.
"It's okay," Xiao Zhen said, and glanced at Huan Rang again.
Huan Ling gently pushed Huan Rang, and said, "Zhong Xuan, you step back first." ”
"Yes," Huan Rang responded, and then saluted Xiao Zhen in a proper manner, and then retreated.
Huan Rang left the front yard and went to the backyard, but he didn't go back to the house to rest, but went straight to the back door of the Hou Mansion, he learned that the driving force behind Cheng Rate's case was Xie Zheng, so he naturally wanted to tell Xiao Ye about it immediately.
What's more, Xiao Ye hasn't let down his guard against him yet, as long as he reports this matter to him today, not to mention whether he can get respect for it, at least he can make Xiao Ye believe in his loyalty a little.
There is a latch on the back door of the Hou Mansion, and no one is guarding here on weekdays, Huan Rang came here, glanced around, saw that no one saw it, and quickly opened the door and walked out.
Cheng led the killing of the king, the king of Linchuan escorted the sword has spread all over the government and the opposition, Zheng Hui came out of the palace, only sat in the Tingwei office for a while, and then he couldn't sit still, so he also hurried to the Wuling Palace.
At that time, Xiao Ye was sitting in the study, guessing the results of Cheng Rate's case with Liu Fang, and when he heard that Zheng was back, he also knew that he must have come for Cheng Rate.
Xiao Ye was looking forward to Zheng Hui reporting to him that Cheng Rate would confess to Xiao Ying, so Xiao Ying was also convicted, but he didn't want to, Zheng Hui said directly: "Your Highness, Cheng Rate is dead." ”
"Dead?" Xiao Ye was stunned, and hurriedly asked: "But the third brother sent someone to kill him?" ”
Zheng Hui shook his head, and said: "Today, the lower official led someone to escort him to the Shiqian Palace, and he didn't know where to take out a sword, and he actually wanted to kill His Majesty......"
Before Zheng Hui finished speaking, Xiao Ye grabbed the words and hurriedly asked, "What did you say?" ”
"Cheng Shu committed murder with a sword in the Shiqian Palace, trying to kill the king, and the lower officials suspected that he was instructed by Xie Guifei and the King of Linchuan."
"And the result?" Xiao Ye was expressionless and looked quite indifferent, but he was quite calm.
Zheng Hui said bluntly: "The king of Linchuan blocked the sword for His Majesty and was seriously injured, and now, he must still be in the Shiqian Palace." ”
Xiao Ye thought for a while, then sneered: "With the third brother's greedy temperament and fear of death, he would actually block the sword for his father?" If he doesn't hide behind his father, he is already sober-minded! ”
"So the lower officials guessed that Cheng Rate was instructed by Xie Guifei and the King of Linchuan, Your Highness, you think, originally His Majesty suspected that Cheng Rate opened the Qinlou Chu Pavilion, and the main envoys behind the scenes were all the kings of Linchuan, and now Cheng rate killed the king, and the king of Linchuan blocked the sword, which just made His Majesty dispel his suspicions about him, not only that, but in the future, he will definitely reward the king of Linchuan for his merits and deeds because of this matter, and today's matter, the king of Linchuan can be said to have benefited a lot!"
Xiao Ye pondered it a few times, and snorted coldly: "What a good means!" ”
Zheng Hui lowered his head and said regretfully: "I also complained about the negligence of the officials, when escorting Cheng Cheng into the palace, he didn't pay attention to the murder weapon hidden on his body, otherwise, how could King Linchuan and Xie Guifei have the opportunity to design such a play." ”
"Do you know that you were negligent? Someone handed over a secret petition to Cheng Rate, this king could have taken this opportunity to bring down the third brother, what a good opportunity! It's just that you took it lightly and caused the king to make a mistake, if nothing happened in the past two days, it would be fine, but you gave the third brother a chance, so that he has won the trust of his father since then, you, you! Alas! Xiao Ye said, reaching out and poking Zheng Hui's forehead, as if he hated iron but not steel.
Zheng Huiqian knelt on the ground, lowered his head again, and said: "Your Highness forgives me, this matter is all the fault of the lower officials, and the lower officials will find a way to make up for it." ”
"Make it up? Hum! How do you make up for it? Yes? How to make up for it! Xiao Ye crossed his hands on his hips, dizzy with anger, but Zheng Hui didn't open his mouth, because he really didn't know how to answer.
Xiao Ye seemed to think of something, and said: "Today, you are responsible for escorting Cheng Rate into the palace, and now Cheng Rate kills the king, and my father is not accountable to you?" ”
"The lower official has pleaded guilty to His Majesty, but His Majesty was in a hurry at that time, so he couldn't care about the lower official, only scolded the lower official, drove the lower official away, and the lower official had to go back to the Imperial Lieutenant's Office."
Xiao Ye then said, "Then why don't you go back to the Imperial Governor's Office quickly?" Today's matter is not trivial, when my father is done, I will definitely summon you to the palace! ”
Zheng Hui hesitated a little, Xiao Ye was angry, and when he saw that he didn't move, he was angry again, and immediately reprimanded: "You don't want to go quickly!" ”
"Yes, yes, the next official will go," Zheng Hui hurriedly got up from the ground and fled.
After he left, Liu Fang gently called Xiao Ye: "Your Highness." ”
Xiao Ye didn't seem to hear it, only stared at Zheng Hui's back in a hurry, and scolded in a low voice: "Useless things!" ”
After he said that, he said to Liu Fang in a strange way: "Liu Fang, enter the palace with this king, and this king is going to visit the imperial brother." ”
"Yes," Liu Fang agreed, and then followed Xiao Ye out.
Xiao Ye and Liu Fang boarded the ox cart and went to the direction of the palace, the ox cart just left the Wuling Palace, Huan Rang hurriedly came, the matter of the front and rear feet, he saw the ox cart, only one more look, and then entered the house, found Xiao Ye's study outside, saw that the door was closed, and knocked on the door twice, but no one answered the door, at this time the two sweeping maids passed by with a basin of water, and then said to her: "Huan Envoy, His Royal Highness is not in the study, he took the Liu master book into the palace." ”
"Entered the palace?" Huan Rang was stunned for a moment, and then remembered that he was at the gate of the palace and saw an ox cart leaving, so he hurriedly asked, "But you just left?" ”
The two maids nodded in unison, Huan Rang lowered his eyebrows slightly, and said to himself: "Oh...... That's not a coincidence. ”
As he spoke, he went back to the next room, and the two maids also went away.
At that time, Xiao Zhen said goodbye to Xie Zheng and Huan Ling, the two were sending him to the door of the Hou Mansion, and when Xiao Zhen left, Huan Ling immediately went to Huan Rang's house, he knocked on the door at first No one answered, so he simply pushed the door in, and saw that Huan Rang was not in the house.
Huan Ling then came out again, searched in the courtyard, and called: "Zhong Xuan! Zhong Xuan! ”
One or two calls, but no one responded, Zeng Qionglin followed behind him, guessing: "Is Erlangjun out?" ”
"Out?" Huan Ling thought about it carefully, he had been staying in the guest hall all the time, thinking that the door of the guest hall was facing the door of the house, if Huan Rang really went out, how could he not see it?
Huan Ling thought again, Xu was he was too serious talking to Xiao Zhen and Xie Zheng, and he didn't notice the door, he thought about this, so he walked to the gate of the mansion again, and asked the concierge: "Have you ever seen Erlangjun go out?" ”
Huan Rang walked through the back door, and the porter naturally didn't see it, so he shook his head and said, "I didn't see it today." ”
"Today?" Huan Ling was stunned, listening to the meaning of this porter, could it be that Zhong Xuan had gone out in the past?
The porter knew that Huan Ling had doubts in his heart, so he explained: "Erlangjun went out once yesterday morning and also went out in the afternoon. ”
Huan Ling was quite surprised, he frowned, and thought: Why didn't Zhong Xuan inform him when he went out?
The porter then said: "By the way, Erlangjun also went out this morning, and he went out around the middle of the day, and he only came back when he had lunch, and it seems that he was the same yesterday." ”
Xie Zheng was still sitting in the guest hall, and when he saw Huan Ling standing at the door from a distance, he looked for him and asked, "What's wrong with the county marquis?" ”
Huan Ling glanced at her, in his heart Huan Rang heard the conversation between Xie Zheng and Xiao Zhen, and now that Huan Rang was nowhere to be seen, he was faintly uneasy, and hurriedly asked Xie Zheng: "Shicai is in the guest hall, you didn't say anything obscure to the prince, right?" ”
Xie Zheng realized that it was not a secret when he talked to Xiao Zhen, so he replied: "I only mentioned the matter of Cheng Rate." ”
"Oh...... That's good, that's good," Huan Ling nodded, as if relieved.
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