225 "The Murderer"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere was tense and cold.
Qi Zhen helped Hengyu and put on the cloak she had untied before going into the water.
Hengyu trembled, and his slightly clenched teeth were also shaking.
But it wasn't because of the cold.
On the contrary, she no longer felt the physical cold.
"Send Ji Niangzi to change clothes first." The prince turned his head and said goodbye to the moon.
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness the Prince......" Hengyu reluctantly bowed, and accompanied by his Zhen, he left everyone's sight with the moon.
She took one last look at the direction Xiao Mufang had just left, and slightly clenched her fingers that were trembling uncontrollably.
On the way out of the palace, Xiao Mu attracted strange glances from many people who were still unaware of the situation.
However, even if he didn't know why, the coldness exuded by the young man in a purple robe was impossible to ignore.
Wherever it passed, the palace people avoided saluting one after another, not daring to look directly.
The chamberlain who led the way, whose underwear had already been wet with cold sweat on his body, hurried with his head down, almost trotting to barely keep up with the young man's footsteps.
"That's ...... Dingbei Hou? β
"Who was he holding in his arms...... Looks like ......"
"What's going on?"
The group of officials who left the palace looked at the back of the suppressed but still pressing body in a daze, and walked away, before they talked in disbelief: "This looks like something has happened......
Before the words fell, a sound of clean footsteps was heard, and soon a group of forbidden troops came quickly, guarding and blocking various intersections.
"Dare to ask General Min, what happened in the palace?" An official asked General Qianniuwei, who was in charge of the palace guards, who was walking over.
The general's face was solemn: "Mrs. Xiao, the mother of the Marquis of Dingbei, was killed, and the murderer is unknown. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally ordered to immediately block the exits of the palace gates, and I also ask you to go back with me and cooperate in the investigation. β
"What ......"
Mrs. Siu...... He's dead?!
The crowd changed color.
Xiao Mu and the forbidden army came to the palace gate one after another, which also caused a shock among the officials and clansmen who left the palace.
"Your Highness, Xiao ...... Mrs. Xiao, she ......, "The voice of the female envoy guarding the carriage of the eldest princess of Yongyang trembled.
When the eldest princess of Yongyang heard the movement, she had already lifted the curtain and walked down, just in time to see Xiao Mu bending over and sending Mrs. Xiao's cold body into the carriage of the Dingbei Hou Mansion.
The female envoy Chunjuan stood beside the car in a daze, and after a moment of stunnedness, she turned her head stiffly to look at the car, and suddenly burst into tears: "Madam......! β
Xiao Mu got on the horse, the knuckles of the fingers holding the reins were white, and there were green tendons bulging on the back of his hand.
"Go home."
In the night, his voice was strangely calm.
Everyone in the Hou Mansion responded "yes" with red eyes, and as the sound of horses' hooves went away, the chariots and horses of the Hou Mansion in Dingbei followed Xiao Mu and disappeared outside the gate of the Vermilion Palace.
Looking at the direction in which the carriage and horses disappeared, the eldest princess of Yongyang whispered in a difficult way: "After entering Beijing, the bright swords and dark arrows have come over in waves...... How could such a change happen today? β
"Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess." A forbidden soldier stepped forward and saluted, and said with some embarrassment: "It happened suddenly, and the official position is in ...... I have ordered someone to prepare a soft sedan chair, and please return to the palace to rest temporarily. β
The eldest princess of Yongyang retracted her gaze from outside the palace gate for a long time, and her eyebrows looked solemn: "It should be so, let's go." β
The night breeze hit her, and she coughed a few times, her brows furrowing even more.
In the face of the obstruction and recall of the forbidden army, some people were frightened and puzzled, and some people were greatly annoyed: "Why don't you let us go!" β
The Turkic man who was stopped outside the East Palace had angry eyes.
The forbidden army's face was cold: "Someone in the palace was killed, and on the orders of His Royal Highness the Prince, all those who attend the banquet tonight must stay." β
The Turkic man roughly understood the word "killed", and frowned to rush forward: "You are dead, what does it have to do with me!" Get out of the way! β
With a "poof", the sword in the forbidden army's hand was unsheathed and blocked in front of him.
The man's eyes changed, and he clenched his fists suddenly.
"Ye Hu ......," the companion beside him whispered something in Turkic.
The fierce-looking man gritted his teeth and looked at the forbidden soldier with a cold look in his eyes: "I want to see what tricks you are playing!" β
One after another, the officials and their dependents were summoned back to the main hall where the banquet was held.
Most of them saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who has always been gentle, for the first time, showing such a solemn and cold demeanor.
A great uneasiness hung over the crowd.
The news spread to the palaces, and everywhere was alarmed.
The crown princess was also shocked: "How can this be, Mrs. Xiao is ......"
The matter happened in the East Palace, and the palace people already knew about it, and the reason why it reached her ears now was because the palace ladies knew that the crown princess was pregnant, and they did not dare to panic rashly.
And the prince's attitude in dealing with this matter is particularly firm, the formation is so big that it is impossible for the palace people to hide it, and the right person is as it is.
"Since the matter has happened, I believe that His Highness will deal with it properly." Mama Xiang hurriedly reassured: "Don't worry too much......
The crown princess's face turned slightly pale, and she sat in the couch for a while before nodding.
Mrs. Xiao's identity is special, if she can't find out the real culprit in time, I'm afraid she won't be good......
"Did Heng Niangzi go into the water and bring people up?" The crown princess asked after calming down a little.
"Exactly." Mama Xiang said in a low voice: "The person is gone, and at first it was Ji Niangzi who discovered it first, so she gathered the palace people to look around...... Ji Niangzi jumped off the lotus pond regardless of it, and tried her best to rescue her after bringing it up, but unfortunately she was injured in the back of her head and drowned in the water, and she was still a step too late. β
The crown princess frowned tightly: "The person who did it is really extremely vicious!" β
He immediately asked, "How is Heng Niangzi now?" β
"Chilled and frightened...... And judging from the attitude of saving people, Mrs. Xiao has a very close relationship, and it is inevitable that it will be difficult to accept it for a while, so at this time, Yue Jian took her to change clothes. β
At the same moment, Yuejian took a bowl of soup to Hengyu: "Ji Niangzi will drink a bowl of ginger soup first to get rid of the cold." β
Hengyu, who had already changed his clothes, sat on the drum stool, his eyes were a little empty, looking at the ginger soup handed to him, he reacted for a moment, and then took it and brought it to his mouth.
Yuejian hurriedly said: "Ji Niangzi be careful of burning!" β
saw that Hengyu had poured all the bowl of ginger soup.
"Thank you, Sister Tsukimi." Hengyu put the bowl to the side and got up.
Yuejian hurriedly went to help her arm: "Another decoction that calms the nerves, Ji Niangzi will rest here first." β
"No need." Hengyu's voice recovered a little: "I want to go to the front and have a look." β
Seeing that she wanted to speak and stopped, seeing that her expression was insistent, she didn't persuade her much: "That maid accompanied Ji Niangzi over." β
When Hengyu came to the front hall, he saw everyone sitting or standing in the hall, and the air was full of tension and uneasiness.
Everyone's minds were on progress, and almost no one noticed her entering the temple.
At this time, a guard walked into the hall quickly: "His Royal Highness the Prince, I found this thing in the grass by the pond where Mrs. Xiao drowned!" β
The prince immediately said, "Present it." β
The guard presented the object, only to see that it was a bracelet.
Different from ordinary bracelets, in addition to amber and jade, there is also a long wolf tooth on it, which is particularly eye-catching.
In the crowd, the Turkic man who called Jiaque changed his eyes and subconsciously touched his left wrist.
"This bracelet looks like something of an alien race......," one official said.
Another humanitarian: "I heard that the Turks used wolves as totems, and they believed in ......"
As soon as these words came out, countless eyes subconsciously turned to the two of them.
The prince did not rush to make up his mind or question, but handed the bracelet to the chamberlain: "Please take a good look at whether you have seen this thing tonight or before." β
Everyone knows that if the real culprit cannot be found, no one can stay out of the matter, so they dare not be careless.
But even so, there are some things that cannot be said too easily - the Turks and Dasheng have only been at peace for two years, and there are some crimes that no one dares to bear rashly.
All the officials had their own calculations, but one person was different: "I recognize this bracelet, I have seen it in the hands of the Turkic envoys!" β
King Xiang pointed to Jiaque without hesitation.
"You!" Gaque was furious.
"Son-of-law...... The servant has seen it too! King Xiang opened his head, and a palace lady knelt down: "When the maid poured wine for them tonight, I saw this bracelet more than once!" β
Jia Que looked at Nagong E angrily: "Bastard! β
The prince looked at him: "Why should you be angry, if it's just a misunderstanding, you can show your bracelet." β
"......" the prince spoke, and Jia Que's attitude was somewhat restrained: "My bracelet is gone!" β
It was noisy all around.
"Lost?"
"How could there be such a coincidence?"
A minister reminded him: "Jiaque Ye Protector must know, this is not something that can be brought with a sentence of 'lost'-"
"What do you want!" Gak glared angrily at the minister: "Do you want to put the charge on my head with just one bracelet?" β
The prince said: "A bracelet alone really doesn't mean anything, so it's too rash to talk about convictions." β
Jia Que's face just softened, only to hear the prince ask: "Dare to ask Jia Que Ye on the neck, is there a new injury?" β
Jia Que's face tightened, and he subconsciously reached out to touch his ear and neck, and when he touched it, it was a hot pain.
He also deliberately pulled the collar of his robe to cover the scars, but the scars were close to the ears and could not be completely covered.
Shangshu of the Criminal Department took a step forward and said: "If Mrs. Xiao is first hit in the head and then thrown into the pond, when her consciousness is still alive, she will inevitably struggle to resistββ"
"What a fart you put on!"
Looking at the Turkic people who had been unable to hide their arrogance since they entered Beijing, the Shangshu of the Criminal Department reminded coldly: "Please also ask Jiaque Ye to protect your wordsββ"
"It's clear that you framed me first, and I'm still polite to you! Dare to ask His Royal Highness the Prince, is this your Dasheng's hospitality! β
"If a guest comes from afar, he should be treated with courtesy." The prince said slowly: "But there is a murder in the master's house, if you can't find out the truth, you will definitely have a dislike with the guests." Rather than forcibly whitewashing, it is better to thoroughly investigate and eliminate misunderstandings - such an ordinary truth, presumably Jiaque Ye Hu also understands. β
Jiaque's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't say anything to refute for a while.
"The wound under the ear of the Jiaque leaf has not yet scabbed-" The criminal department Shangshu asked, "Dare to ask where the injury was?" β
Jia Que gritted his teeth and said after a while, "...... It was scratched by a palace maid! In front of a bamboo forest behind the hall! β
"Palace maid?" Shang Shu of the Criminal Department frowned slightly: "The female envoy of the East Palace, how can she easily hurt people?" Ye Hu was hit by him, why didn't he tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that the palace maid was handed over to the East Palace to take charge of the matter? β
"Who knows what kind of crazy ...... she's doing" Jiaque's eyes dodged: "How can I deal with a!" β
Hearing this, most of the people already had the answer in their hearts.
But whether his words are true or false is still unknownβnot necessarily not to cover up the lies, but to deliberately confuse the eyes with recklessness.
"By the way...... Gaque raised his eyes sharply, "That must have stolen my bracelet at that time!" Deliberately set up a situation to frame me! β
The Shangshu of the Criminal Department asked: "Since Jiaque Ye Hu is so determined, can he recognize that palace maid?" β
Gaque gritted his teeth: "I'm going to find her!" β
Seeing that the prince nodded, Ji Nanxian, who was standing aside, ordered someone to summon all the palace ladies in the East Palace to the outside of the palace.
Jia Que walked out of the main hall, came to those palace maids, carefully identified them, and finally pointed to a palace lady with a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows: "It's her!" You slut, how dare you harm me! Tell me, who instructed me! β
Nagong E was so frightened that she took two steps back, and said in a panic: "The maid has been serving the crown princess in the palace tonight, and then returned to the dormitory with the princess, until she was summoned here...... Never left the side of the crown princess half a step before! β
Heng Yu also recognized it, it was indeed the female envoy beside the crown princess, whose name was Yuezhi.
"Your Highness, the servant can testify for Yuezhi!" Gong E, who was also serving by the side of the crown princess, said.
Two inner supervisors also stood up: "Slaves can also testify!" β
The prince who walked out of the hall looked at Mama Xiang who came over.
Mama Xiang nodded: "That's true, Yue Zhi has been with the princess all the time, and she hasn't left an inch." β
"You guys are complicit!" Jiaque's qi and blood surged, and after his mind was blank for a moment, he suddenly turned to look at the prince in the palace: "I understand...... This is simply the instruction of the prince of the East Palace! β
"Presumptuous!" A minister scolded: "I, the prince of Dasheng, how can you be a barbarian who can slander casually!" β
"Barbarian?" Gaque was furious: "You are hypocritical and vicious, and you are extremely hateful!" β
The minister sneered: "Your Excellency failed to make a quibble and pointed out, so you became angry and angry, and you were suspicious of being a thief-"
And Jiaque's words angered many officials and relatives, and someone said: "It is rumored that Ganu, the younger brother of Jiaque Ye Hu, died in battle under the sword of Xiao Jie's envoy two years agoββ"
And the next moment, a hesitant female voice sounded: "The concubine has lived in Hedong for many years, and she knows a Turkic woman who is in the jewelry business...... Therefore, I was able to understand the Turkic language a little, and I heard this envoy say it at the banquet tonight...... He wanted to kill Xiao Jie's relatives and avenge his brother. β
Hengyu looked over and saw that the person who opened his mouth was the princess of Hedong.
Princess Hedong has always been timid, and she will not come out in case of trouble, and at this time, she said this, probably seeing that the situation is like this, she wants to "help" Dingbei Hou find out the murderer, as a personal favor.
Heng Yu couldn't help but think, it seems that her words before really scared Princess Hedong.
Princess Hedong's words made everyone around.
"Sure enough, it was planned!"
"It's just that the defeated barbarians dared to commit murder in my Dasheng Palace!" Some generals were angry: "After drinking a few taels of yellow soup, I don't know that the sky is high and the earth is thick, and I am simply killing myself!" β
Hearing this, Jia Que no longer had half of his senses, and immediately rushed forward to raise his fist.
"Take him!"
Several guards stepped forward and restrained the man to death.
On the other side, Ji Nanxian has already obtained the testimony of the palace guards everywhere at tonight's banquet: "Your Highness, according to the confirmation of the palace people everywhere, the time period from the last time Jiaque Yehu left the palace to return to the palace happened to be the interval between Mrs. Xiao's accident. β
"Sure enough...... Indeed, you have the heart! Always staring at me, calculating me! Jia Que stared at the prince with a pair of eyes: "There is a war in the south of your country, and the emperor is seriously ill and has not shown up for a long time, and if something happens to me this time, the Great Khan and my Turkic warriors will definitely seek justice for me!" β
The prince pursed the corners of his mouth slightly.
------Off topic------
Ahem, good night_(:Π"β )_
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