GBP Chapter 177 Li Daitao is stiff
Chapter 177 Li Daitao is stiff
In the study, Shen Qingming's voice was like a bolt from the blue, striking Shen Shenshen's head, "Or rather, it was you, Shen'er, who hired someone to hurt someone."
Shen Shen was anxious, and stood up to explain to Lord Shen: "Father, father, this is really not your daughter. Even if you give me a hundred guts, I will never do such a thing as hiring someone to hurt someone, because that will cost me my life. Father, you have to believe me."
"Sit down. It's not decent to panic when faced with something." Lord Shen scolded.
"Oh. My daughter was rude. Please forgive me, father." Shen Shen sat down obediently. She calmed down after being scolded by her father. If His Majesty had determined that she was the murderer, he would have sent the Dali Temple to arrest her long ago. There would be no chance for her father to tell her what happened in the imperial study.
"Of course I believe in my daughter. She has been in my arms since she was little. Don't I know her personality?"
"Yeah, Shen'er knows that father treats Shen'er best."
"Stop flattering me. Hearing what His Majesty said, I immediately stepped forward to defend Shen'er, but before I could say a few words, I was interrupted by Prince Zhu. Shen'er, your husband is not a simple one. It's a pity that he doesn't enter the court."
Recalling what happened in the Imperial Study today, the Marquis still had lingering fears. He admired Zhu Yanxiao's flawless work, and even His Majesty praised him highly.
Royal study room.
There are corridors on all four sides, and the floor is paved with gold bricks. The roof is a single-eaved, four-cornered peak, and the roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, with a copper-based gilded top in the middle. The inner and outer eaves of the hall are decorated with golden dragon and seal paintings, and the ceiling is a pattern of gilded powder. There is a floor screen throne in the hall, and in front of the throne is an extremely large golden nanmu desk, which has a golden glow under the sunlight shining through the glazed tiles.
Today, Prince Zhong, Marquis An, Duke Jing'an, Master Xie, the Crown Prince of Prince Zhong's Mansion, and the Commander of the Jinwu Guard, the six most powerful people in the East Border, gathered in the imperial study.
Emperor Huaisheng sat majestically on the throne, listening to the report from the prince of Prince Zhong's Mansion on the attack on the eldest daughter of the Duke of Jing'an's Mansion.
Zhu Yanxiao, the son of Prince Zhong, told Emperor Huai Sheng what happened that day. Emperor Huai Sheng tried to find out whether the murderer behind Zhu Yanxiao's murder might be Miss Shen, the second daughter of Marquis An's Mansion.
Before Zhu Yanxiao could speak, Duke Jing'an Zhou Moning stepped forward and saluted: "Your Majesty, Miss Shen hired someone to kill someone, which is a heinous crime. I beg Your Majesty to order the Dali Temple to arrest her immediately. At the same time, because Miss Shen and Prince Zhu have already agreed to get married, it is no longer appropriate for Prince Zhu to handle this matter, lest someone protect the murderer."
When Prince Zhong heard that his eldest son was suspected, he immediately snorted coldly: "Weekend Ning, I advise you to be careful with your words."
Marquis Anbo could not help but took a few steps forward and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, my second daughter has been growing up beside me since she was a child. I know her personality very well. She is very well-behaved and docile. I would not even step on an ant to death. I dare to guarantee with my life that Miss Shen will never hire someone to kill someone."
Duke Jing'an Zhou Moning stepped forward and scolded, "Humph! Marquis An, you are biased towards your daughter, but what His Majesty found is also the truth. Yunxi got into trouble the night after the banquet that day. Such a coincidence, doesn't it explain everything?"
Anbo Hou Shen Qingming retorted: "Duke Zhou didn't mention a word about Miss Zhou's plot against my second lady to make her lose her innocence."
"My lords." Zhu Yanxiao spoke out to stop Emperor Huai Sheng before he could explode.
"Forgive me for being rude. First, I was reporting the results of the investigation to Your Majesty, but I was interrupted before I finished. Isn't that unreasonable? Second." He turned and stared at Zhou Mingning with a bad look: "Your Majesty is speculating whether it was the Second Miss Shen who did it, but I haven't finished explaining the process, and Lord Zhou wants to arrest her? Regardless of whether I am the chief investigator of this case, even if I am not, it is Your Majesty who has the final say on whether to arrest the Second Miss Shen. When did it become the turn of a minister to make decisions for Your Majesty?"
Upon hearing Zhu Yanxiao accuse him of meddling in other people's affairs, Lord Zhou knelt down in fear with a thump. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I never meant to do that. I am anxious to find the murderer because I love my daughter so much. Your Majesty, please don't listen to Prince Zhu's nonsense."
Young Master Xie stood aside without saying a word, just watching the show, thinking to himself: Well, in the future, don't mess with Zhu Yanxiao and the Crown Prince's Consort, as they are both vindictive.
"My dear Zhou, please get up. I know you love your daughter very much and this is not intentional." After saying this, he glanced at Zhu Yanxiao who was standing beside him with a calm expression.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Ziyuan, continue to talk to me."
"Yes. Your Majesty, what I just said about the banquet was absolutely true. Such an incident happened that night, and there are many suspicious points. Commander Huo and I have spent some time and means to investigate in the past few days."
"Your Majesty, what Prince Zhu said is true." Commander Huo of the Jinwu Guard confirmed.
"Master Zhu has found the murderer in just a few days? May I ask who the murderer is?" It was Master Xie who asked.
Zhu Yanxiao ignored him and continued to say to Emperor Huaisheng: "I have found the murderer."
Emperor Huaisheng leaned forward slightly when he heard this: "Speak."
"Who is the murderer?" Amber Hou asked anxiously, as this concerns Shen'er's innocence.
"Your Majesty, the murderer is Mu Mian'er from Jixian Tea House."
"Kumian'er?" Emperor Huai Sheng obviously didn't recognize her.
"Mam'er..." Master Xie pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked, "The Mian'er who is a great singer and pianist?"
"That's right." Zhu Yanxiao replied.
Emperor Huai Sheng glanced at Master Xie before asking, "Where is this woman? Has the Dali Temple captured her?"
"Your Majesty, this woman is dead."
"Dead? Who killed him?"
"I and Fei Daowei killed her by mistake when we were trying to arrest her."
Emperor Huai Sheng looked at Commander Huo calmly, and the latter nodded slightly.
Duke Zhou, however, did not believe it at all and sneered, "Humph! Prince Zhu, this woman is just a lowly actress, how could she sneak into the boudoir of the eldest daughter of the Duke of Jing'an? Besides, with her status, it is impossible for her to make friends with Yunxi. How could she hurt Yunxi without any grudge? It is possible that the second Miss Shen hired this woman to kill her."
Zhu Yanxiao was calm and gentle in front of the emperor. He didn't care about Duke Zhou's words at all. He acted as if to say, "Your Majesty, you can say whatever you want and I will only reply to your Majesty's words."
In his heart, he had already put Lord Zhou on his blacklist. He kept saying that the gods hired murderers to hurt people, and this prince would definitely get back at him.
"Ziyuan, tell me in detail. Other ministers are not allowed to interrupt." Emperor Huaisheng leaned against the backrest of the throne with a screen on the ground and said majestically.
No one else dared to interrupt.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. In reply to Your Majesty's words, this Miss Mian'er seems to have nothing to do with the Duke's Mansion, but in fact she has fallen in love with someone. This person is Mr. Zhou Si of the Duke's Mansion."
"Chang'an?" Weekend Ning frowned at this time.
"That's right. That day, Miss Zhou gave Mr. Zhou money and the promise of a shop, so that he could destroy Miss Shen's innocence."
"Oh. I know." Master Xie had an expression that said 'I know the truth': "Mian'er knew about this and wanted to avenge her lover. As a woman, she knew too well how to take revenge the most cruelly, so she hurt Miss Zhou."
"That's true, thank you, Master, for your intelligence." Zhu Yanxiao said.
"It's just that I don't know how she sneaked into the room of the eldest lady of the Duke's Mansion."
Zhu Yanxiao replied to Emperor Huai Sheng: "Mu Mian'er's Qinggong is very good, and few people know this secret until now."
Master Xie continued to ask, "The Duke's Mansion has many guards. Even if Mu Mian'er has high Qinggong skills, it is impossible that no one heard any noise."
Zhu Yanxiao remained silent, indicating that he was only responding to Emperor Huai Sheng's words.
"Ziyuan, continue." Emperor Huaisheng said.
"Your Majesty, Mu Mian'er didn't get into the Duke's Mansion by using Qing Gong. She disguised herself as Miss Zhou's personal maid Tao Hong and sneaked into the Duke's Mansion."
Emperor Huaisheng glanced at Commander Huo again, only to see him nod slightly as usual.
"Where is Taohong? Has the Dali Temple arrested her for questioning?" Master Xie continued to ask without caring about Zhu Yanxiao's attitude.
"Your Majesty, Taohong is missing. She may have been killed by Muman'er."
Lord Zhou could no longer hold back and angrily said, "Prince Zhu, you did everything you could to protect your princess consort. All the witnesses are dead, and there is no evidence. So whoever Prince Zhu says is the murderer is the one."
Zhu Yanxiao raised his eyes and said with a smile, "Sir Zhou is wrong. There is a witness."
"Aren't they all dead?"
He just smiled at Zhou Mo Ning, but bowed to Emperor Huai Sheng and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Zhou and Mr. Zhou Si are both witnesses. Do you need me to arrange for them to be taken to the Dali Temple for a detailed interrogation?"