He impeached Qu Fucheng just because Qu Fucheng really did something corrupt. Someone led him to check, and when he found out, he naturally couldn't hold back and not say anything. This time, the prince himself did such a thing, and the tragic situation of the destruction of the nine families was in front of him, and he could not pretend that he did not see it.

As a speech official, you can't talk nonsense about things you haven't seen, but you can't pretend to be confused and not report what you see with your own eyes.

He doesn't want to embarrass anyone, but he can't live up to his official position of being a good person in the three grades, and he can't live up to the word "Zhongzheng".

I didn't expect the prince to be so ruthless, nine families, not a single one of them survived. From the elderly to the drooping children, no one was spared.

A person like the crown prince, once he ascends the throne, won't the people have a hard time?

Du Fengsheng walked out of the North Palace Gate with a heavy heart. The emperor confirmed it with the Pure Dust Division, and knew that what Du Fengsheng had reported was fine, so he hurried to the palace to go to the court.

In the court, he only asked if the person sent by the prince to give an order to Lei Qianliu was safe, and estimated that he should be there now, without mentioning the matter of the craftsman, and naturally it was impossible to say anything about the waist card.

The prince felt that since the people of Weaving Star had already seen that the Pure Dust Division had taken the waist card, they would not stay there longer. Weaving Star started later, and it was indispensable to spend time on the way to find the two craftsmen, and now they have returned. Those who want to come to the Pure Dust Division should be able to return to Kyoto City with her back and forth.

My father came so late this morning, this is not like my father's usual diligent style. Over the years, if there was no delay in any important report, my father would never have been in court sooner or later.

Didn't someone come to report the matter of his father's waist card? But why didn't his father leave him behind to ask?

The prince walked out of the council hall slowly, until he went down the long steps, and no one stopped him, calling him to go to the imperial study or the Qianqing Palace.

The emperor didn't call him over, but he was even more worried.

The emperor did not call the prince, but in the afternoon sent someone to send King Chen to the imperial study.

King Chen went to the imperial study without waking up from a nap, saluted the emperor, and said with a smile: "The son of the emperor greets his father." ”

The emperor glanced at his sleepy eyes that couldn't be opened, and said unhappily: "It's I who disturbed your good sleep." When is it, do you want to rest this afternoon until tomorrow morning? ”

"Wasn't Erchen sick a few days ago? I haven't been very good right now, and I'm tired all day. King Chen smiled.

"Since you are tired, sit down and talk." The emperor's voice softened.

Originally, I wasn't really angry with him, but it was a good thing that he ate and slept soundly like this.

"What do you think of Qu Fucheng's case?" The emperor was affected by King Chen's lazy appearance, and he was also a little tired, so he leaned back in his chair and asked slowly.

"Isn't it already over?" King Chen said with a smile, "My son thinks that my father's disposition is very popular. Thinking about it, both the people and the government and the opposition are full of praise for the emperor's measures to punish corrupt officials. ”

"Hmph......" the emperor said angrily, "you don't pretend to be confused!" Say, what the hell do you think. ”

King Chen knew that what the emperor asked must be the connection between Qu Fucheng and the crown prince. It's okay to pretend to be stupid and tease your father, but it's a bit too much to keep pretending to be stupid.

Therefore, he stopped joking, frowned slightly, and said: "My father asked Qufucheng to escort Qufucheng back to Dali Temple for careful interrogation, I think I think there must be something else behind him who dares to be corrupt......

After a slight pause, he said, "Father is worried, Qu Fucheng is so bold and reckless, is it related to the eldest brother?" ”

The emperor smiled: "Aren't you confused?" ”

"Zhang Xingxing was arranged by the eldest brother, as long as he is not a fool, he will associate this matter with the eldest brother", King Chen smiled, "Speaking of which, the eldest brother is also unlucky." It's just a small official walking, and it's not much of an official, the eldest brother is the prince, even if he arranges a friend or a friend's relatives to go in at will, it's normal. ”

"If Qu Fucheng is not collecting money to do things, but begging the eldest brother to arrange for one of his own nephews to go in, and to take care of us in Sanhuai, the eldest brother will not be able to refuse. But as soon as this thing is mixed with silver, it changes its taste. There's nowhere to go. ”

The emperor smiled and said: "If it is because of the Sanhuai incident, Qu Fucheng came to beg you, and you will also help him?" ”

"He won't come to beg Erchen", King Chen did not shy away from it, "Erchen doesn't have a good relationship with that fat man, and he thinks he is oily and smooth, so he can't talk to him." Erchen admires Cai Sheng even more, and he can chat with Cai Sheng. Besides, Erchen doesn't have the power of his eldest brother, so Qu is too lazy to stutter. ”

The emperor said: "So what do you mean, is your eldest brother wronged, or not wronged?" ”

"Huh...... This ......" King Chen was originally as casual as a son chatting with his father, but when the emperor asked this, he became embarrassed and didn't know how to answer.

"I just want to hear what you think, but it's okay for you to say." The emperor said.

King Chen said: "It's not that the ministers don't say it, but this matter, it's really hard to make a conclusion." If you say that you are wronged, it is said that the gentleman chooses someone to befriend, and Erchen thinks that the eldest brother should have stayed away from people like Master Qu, and he should not be too enthusiastic with him. It is indeed the fault of the eldest brother to communicate with Master Qu. ”

But to say that it is not wronged is too arbitrary. After all, no one can say that he fully understands the character of another person, maybe Master Qu's treachery is not revealed in front of the eldest brother, the eldest brother interacts with him, it is completely the intention of a gentleman, but he is secretly calculating, and the eldest brother is just a person who has been pitted. So I can't really say for sure. ”

The emperor shook his head and smiled, and pointed to King Chen: "You, ......"

It's not easy to get a conclusion out of his son's mouth.

King Chen smiled and didn't say anything.

His father called him over, in fact, he wanted him to say that on Sanhuai's side, he could detect the clues of the prince's collusion with Qu Fucheng. Of course he can't say.

If he had already seen the clues, then it had been almost half a year since Sanhuai returned to Kyoto, why didn't he mention it to the emperor once? So I can only pretend to be confused. But this is confused, but it is not casually pretended, and it has to be heartfelt and very sincere.

The emperor has long known that his son is very smart and the most sensible to protect himself. In fact, when I talked to him about Sanhuai, I didn't think I could ask anything from him, just chatting.

Seeing that King Chen gave such a painless, but sounding quite dedicated answer, the emperor stopped talking about it. Instead, he got down to business: "Speaking of Cai Sheng, his case, I think about it now, maybe it's a little strange......"

"You help me do something", the emperor put a note that had already been written on the table, and nodded to the king of Chen, "Send someone to find these two people for me." ”

King Chen stepped forward and took the note in both hands. After looking at it, he thought about it for a while, and said, "Erchen remembers that these two people were the craftsmen used to build the river at that time. Because they are veterans, the adults usually tell them directly about anything, and sometimes they can really put forward no less than favorable suggestions for construction. ”

The emperor leaned back in his chair and looked at King Chen carefully. I can't tell if he really has nothing to do with this matter, or if he is pretending to be confused again.

When he went down to the court, he thought all the way, thinking that why did he just miss two? If these two craftsmen hadn't heard the wind beforehand, why weren't they at home? And after so many days of not going back, and the neighbors don't know where they went, it sounds more like an overnight escape than a coincidence.

Unless someone is secretly helping them, it doesn't make sense.

And who can help them? If you think about it carefully, except for the third child, there is no one else. Because of this incident, the prince fell, and the only one who benefited was the third child.

Sensing the emperor's gaze, King Chen was still sitting with his head down, his face calm.

But when the emperor withdrew his gaze, he looked at the note again...... Then, as if he had made a great determination, he got up, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Father, forgive your sins." ”

The emperor withdrew his gaze and was about to explain what he should do, when he saw him suddenly kowtow and admit his mistake, and was slightly stunned. He asked meaningfully, "Oh? What a sin? ”

"Erchen not only knows these two people, but also knows where these two people are." King Chen.

"Tell me about it." The emperor seemed to be smiling.

"In the early Chinese New Year's Eve, when the courtiers saw Du Zhongzheng's impeachment of Qu Fucheng, they felt that this was an opportunity, and Cai Sheng Zhaoxue was hopeful. But I thought that the eldest brother would definitely not let Cai Sheng's matter be revealed, and I was afraid that those craftsmen would suffer an unwarranted disaster. In fact, before Erchen returned to Beijing, he pointed out Cai Sheng, saying that Qu Fucheng did a lot of injustice, and sooner or later he would be in trouble. On the day when Qu Fucheng planted his heels, it was the time when he was wronged, so that he must find out where those craftsmen were, keep an eye on them, and don't let them suffer. ”

Therefore, as soon as the matter of Lord Qu happened, Erchen had this worry, so he sent people to Sanhuai's side, wanting to inform these craftsmen and let them flee for their lives. But those craftsmen have families and rooms, and it is the first month, so they are not easy to persuade. Erchen's people only coaxed the two singles who celebrated the New Year alone, and took them to drink elsewhere, so they escaped. ”

King Chen said in a hurry: "Father, Lord Cai is a good official, and his sons can't bear to see him suffer such grievances. Cai Sheng himself said that it doesn't matter if he does it or not, but he is really not so confused that he reads the wrong drawings and gives the wrong order, he doesn't want to carry this black pot. If there is a day of Zhaoxue, he must be grateful to the imperial court. ”

"Erchen and Cai Sheng are friends, and they don't want to let the court cheat me, so I chilled the heart of this good minister, so I wanted to help him. But as soon as the matter came out, Erchen hesitated. felt that Cai Sheng himself did not have the ability to complain, and he had to ask his sons for help. But if Erchen personally pokes out this matter, it is equivalent to going against the eldest brother, which is tantamount to pushing Erchen himself to the cusp of the storm, and he will have a heart of self-preservation......"