Zhao Lun felt that Zuo Jun was staring at him, and hurriedly knelt on the ground: "Zuo Shuai, his subordinates really haven't leaked any traces of Liu Shisan!"

Zuo Jun snorted in his nose: "Forgive me, I don't dare!" Zhao Lun wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up.

Zuo Jun shouted: "Prepare the horses!"

Among the ministers of Xiang Guo, only Zuo Jun and Jiang Xinting can enter the palace without announcing it, and they can ask for an order to face the king at any time. Emperor Xiang hadn't fallen asleep at this time, and when he heard Cunxi report to Zuo Jun asking to see him, he announced that he would come in.

As soon as Zuo Jun came in, he knelt down: "The minister, Zuo Jun knocks to see Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live! Disturb Your Majesty in the middle of the night, and please atone for your sins." ”

Emperor Xiang said: "Get up." Say, what's the matter?"

Zuo Jun said: "Shicai, Weichen encountered a person assassinating at home. The life of the minister is not a pity, but the minister is a servant of His Majesty, and the identity of the assassin is also quite suspicious, so he does not dare to hide it, and he presents it to His Majesty. ”

Emperor Xiang said: "Who dares to assassinate Aiqing?"

Zuo Jun recounted the assassination just now, and finally said: "The dagger thrown by the assassin, Weichen has identified it with Zhao Lun, and it is the one given by His Majesty to His Royal Highness the King of Bac Ninh. ”

"Oh?" Emperor Xiang suddenly became alert, although the King of Beining had never participated in court politics, if it was related to the assassin who assassinated the envoy of Shi Liangmen, it could not help but arouse Emperor Xiang's suspicions. Emperor Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "Xuan Zhaolun, bring the dagger as well." ”

Zhao Lun, who was waiting outside the palace, heard the call, trotted in all the way, and knelt down in front of Emperor Xiang with a plop, and was just about to shout long live when Emperor Xiang interrupted: "Zhao Lun, you can identify this dagger again, is it the one for King Ning." ”

Cun Xi presented the dagger and put it in front of Zhao Lun's eyes, Zhao Lun didn't dare to slack off, looked up, and said: "Back to Your Majesty, it was given to His Royal Highness King Ning by His Majesty, and Weichen will never admit his mistake, and it was personally sent by Deputy Commander Feng that day." ”

Emperor Xiang said: "In other words, this dagger passed through the hands of you, Feng Weiming and King Ning?"

Zhao Lun replied tremblingly: "Yes." ”

Emperor Xiang said to Cunxi: "Immediately King Xuanning and Feng Weiming will enter the palace." ”

"Yes," Cunxi agreed, and ordered someone to proclaim the decree. Emperor Xiang said to Zuo Jun again: "I called King Ning and Feng Weiming to the palace, and Zhao Lun is also here. You immediately take people to search the houses of these three people, and if there are suspicious people, they will be arrested immediately. If anyone stands in the way, they will be killed!"

"Yes!" Zuo Jun got up and walked out. When Zhao Lun on the side heard this, he didn't know what was going on, and he was so frightened that the two trembled. Emperor Xiang ignored him and said to Cunxi: "I will sleep for a while, and wake me up in two hours." King Ning and Feng Weiming came, so let them stay here, and they were not allowed to go anywhere. ”

"Yes. ”

Emperor Xiang got up and entered the warm pavilion behind, at this time there were only Cun Xi and Zhao Lun left in the imperial study, Zhao Lun's heart was like fifteen buckets to draw water - seven up and eight down, but he didn't dare to ask.

※※※

Just after Yinshi, Cun Xi went in and gently woke up Emperor Xiang, and Emperor Xiang asked, "Are they all here?"

"His Royal Highness King Ning and Lord Feng are waiting. ”

Emperor Xiang held his forehead and asked, "Has the left army come back?"

"Lord Zuo hasn't come back yet. ”

Emperor Xiang stood up, and hurriedly put on his clothes for Emperor Xiang, and Emperor Xiang said, "Go and see them." With that, he walked out of the warm pavilion. I saw that the king of Beining was sitting on a chair, and Feng Weiming and Zhao Lun were kneeling on the ground. Seeing Emperor Xiang come out, the king of Beining hurriedly knelt down to say goodbye.

Emperor Xiang waved his hand: "Get up!"

The king of Beining got up and sat back, but Feng Weiming and Zhao Lun did not dare to get up. Emperor Xiang said again: "Get up, Cun Xi, take a chair to Feng Weiming." ”

Feng Weiming thanked him and sat on the chair, and Zhao Lun had to stand under Feng Weiming. Emperor Xiang said again: "It's cold, bring a brazier and put it next to King Ning." ”

The three of them were announced into the palace in the middle of the night, they were all full of questions, Feng Weiming and Zhao Lun didn't dare to ask, the king of Beining was Emperor Xiang's mother after all, and he was the first to speak: "Brother Huang, I don't know what happened to Brother Xuanchen's entry into the palace?"

Emperor Xiang slowly spoke: "Fifth brother, the dagger I gave you, is it okay to use it?"

The king of Beining chuckled in his heart, I don't know how Emperor Xiang asked about this matter, he only said that he wanted this dagger himself, but he didn't say that he wanted it for others. But seeing that Feng Weiming and Zhao Lun were here, Emperor Xiang asked about the dagger again, and nine times out of ten, the problem was on this dagger. He had to reply vaguely: "The dagger given by the imperial brother has always been kept at home, and he doesn't dare to show it easily." ”

Emperor Xiang nodded, leaned back on his seat, and looked at the King of Beining. Wang Qi of Beining said: "Brother Huang, what is the matter?"

Seeing that the demeanor of the king of Beining was not abnormal, Emperor Xiang signaled to Cun Xi, who lowered his head and presented the dagger to the king of Beining. Emperor Xiang said: "Fifth brother, look at this dagger." ”

The King of Beining looked down and saw that it was the one he gave to Yue Xian at the beginning, and immediately understood why Emperor Xiang asked about the dagger, and the King of Beining looked surprised: "Brother Huang, this is ...... How could this dagger be with you?"

Emperor Xiang said: "Is this indeed the one I gave you?"

The king of Bac Ninh picked up the dagger, looked at it and said, "Brother Huang, it is indeed the one you gave to your courtiers, but this ......"

Emperor Xiang said: "The left army has just returned to Beijing, and someone has gone to assassinate him, and the assassin is using this dagger! Who is the person who wants to put the left army to death?" When Emperor Xiang said this, although his tone was very calm, it was tantamount to thunder to the ears of the king of Beining and the other three.

Shi Liangmen directly obeyed Emperor Xiang's orders, and the left army had the power to directly arrest officials below the fourth rank and then behead them, and officials below the prince level directly arrested him, and he was also Emperor Xiang's first confidant, daring to assassinate the left army, which was equivalent to challenging Emperor Xiang's authority.

The king of Bac Ninh said: "Brother Huang, is there really such a thing?"

Emperor Xiang said in a low voice: "That assassin was stabbed by the left army, and he must have been injured. I have ordered the Left Army to search the three of you, and if they find an assassin, take it immediately. ”

Although the king of Bac Ninh was not sure that the assassin was Yue Xian, he knew that most of it was related to him, and he only hoped that it was not Yue Xian who was injured. I secretly calculated in my heart: I can't find an assassin in my three-person mansion, so I don't have to worry, but this dagger matter needs to be concealed.

Feng Weiming spoke: "Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that this matter must have nothing to do with His Royal Highness King Ning. His Royal Highness King Ning has no enmity with Lord Zuo, and Lord Zuo's martial arts are so high that it is difficult for my country to find his opponent, and His Royal Highness King Ning also knows this. Even if His Royal Highness King Ning wants to assassinate, he will definitely not use this dagger given by His Majesty, doesn't this mean that he will not recruit himself?"

Wang Wan of Beining didn't expect Feng Weiming to suddenly speak for himself, but then he thought that his reasons seemed to be defending me, but in fact, he was also defending himself.

Emperor Xiang pondered for a moment and said: "The fifth brother naturally would not do such a thing, but the person who committed the assassination must have implicated the fifth brother in it, so he used this dagger, so he needs to be investigated clearly." ”

At this time, the guards outside came in and reported: "Lord Zuo is back." ”

(Chapter 50 End)