To lure this big fish, the officials from the Ministry of Justice hadn't slept for three days and three nights. They collected handwriting samples from suspicious individuals and compared them one by one. After narrowing down the main suspects, they began investigating the movements of the people around them. They had to be accurate and clear in their investigation without arousing suspicion, so as not to jeopardize their subsequent plans.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice worked hard, but they were used to it.
When they found that the Third Prince of Daimao was the most suspicious, they knew couldn't simply arrest him and interrogate him. One reason was his special status, and the other was the lack of evidence.
A man with ambitions, cunning, and caution was extremely difficult to catch hold of. That's why the Hua family became particularly important in luring him in.
Recently, the Hua family had privately shown goodwill to the Third Prince of Daimao, causing him to start suspecting whether there was a conflict between the Hua family and the Ji family.
People with heavy ambitions and desires often think that everyone else in the world is the same as them. So the Third Prince of Daimao had never believed that the Ji and Hua families could be as close as a ruler and subject.
He Yuanting couldn't believe what was unfolding before his eyes. As he looked at the Crown Prince and the ministers of Great Jin, for the first time in his life, his gentle face twisted with a distorted expression, "Is all of this your trap?"
"Fortunately, these events have allowed us to see a more genuine side of Third Prince," the Crown Prince smiled and raised his hand, signaling the Golden Armored Guards to loosen the ropes and gags on the envoys from Daimao, "Great Jin has always maintained a friendly relationship with Daimao. However, the actions committed by your Third Prince have violated the interests of Great Jin."
The Daimao envoys, who had been forced to watch silently, didn't know what to say. They never expected that the Third Prince, who usually appeared gentle and humble, would have such a side.
He wanted to return to his country, not to mourn the deceased Crown Prince, but to contend for the position of Crown Prince.
Where did the Third Prince, who was not entangled by power and showed respect and closeness to the Crown Prince, go?
Gradually recovering from their shock, they fell into panic. Would the Third Prince's numerous transgressions provoke Great Jin to launch an attack on Daimao?
With Daimao's current strength, they absolutely had no ability to resist.
The Daimao envoys felt uneasy, yet no one dared to plead for He Yuanting. The other envoys who might have stood up to protest against Great Jin were not present here.
The room fell into silence until the Crown Prince ordered He Yuanting to be detained in the Ministry of Justice prison. One of the Daimao envoys finally mustered enough courage to speak, "Esteemed Crown Prince of Great Jin, although our Third Prince has committed great crimes, he..."
"So, are you suggesting that we should deal with your Third Prince after our two countries have negotiated?" the Crown Prince raised an eyebrow in response, "If that's how you want it to be, Gu can accommodate you."
Upon hearing these words, the Daimao envoys fell silent. Negotiate?
On what grounds?
He Yuanting looked at these envoys, who appeared weak and useless before the Crown Prince of Great Jin, and smiled bitterly, filled with both desolation and resentment. The harmony and abundance of talents among the officials of the Great Jin were remarkable. Meanwhile, Daimao had fallen into a strange circle that praised literature but suppressed agriculture, commerce, and the military. There were only these useless ministers left in the court, along with his foolish brothers. Daimao was in danger.
He didn't ask the Crown Prince of Great Jin when he started suspecting him, nor did he ask why the person he sent to handle Hua Liuli had failed. His gaze swept across everyone in the room, and finally, he glanced at Fushou Junzhu's personal maid. He allowed the officials from the Ministry of Justice to take him away.
The subordinate, who had disguised himself as a divine physician, saw that his Master was caught, and fell despairingly to the ground.
How did things turn out like this? Just this morning, he was full of fighting spirit and hope for the future. Why had everything changed in just a few short hours?
Falling from paradise into hell couldn't be more apt.
The Ministry of Justice prison had recently disposed of a group of prisoners, so some cells had become empty. The prisoner next to Prince A'Wa, the one whose term had ended, was released, while another who had blood on his hands was sentenced to be beheaded.
Prince A'Wa had grown accustomed to the talkative inmate who would occasionally curse him. Now that the talkative inmate had been set free, an unusual silence permeated the prison cells.
As he nibbled on a white steamed bun, Prince A'Wa perked up at the sound of shackles. Could it be that a new cellmate had arrived?
The person brought in was dressed in luxurious garments and wore a jade crown. He had a handsome appearance, much more attractive than Yunhan.
Many prisoners secretly stared at this person.
"He Yuanting?" Prince A'Wa recognized him. They had interacted a few years ago when he visited Daimao. In Prince A'Wa's memory, He Yuanting always followed behind the Crown Prince of Daimao, few people paid attention to him.
Upon hearing someone call his name, He Yuanting's steps faltered for a moment. He glanced at the greasy and obese man in the cell and coldly retracted his gaze.
The jailer opened the cell door next to Prince A'Wa and locked He Yuanting inside.
"You ended up here too?" Prince A'Wa couldn't hide his schadenfreude. When life became too bitter, it would be somewhat enjoyable to share the misery with others.
The strategist in the blue robe across the cell, who had remained expressionless, instantly rushed to the cell door, his eyes filled with worry and astonishment.
But He Yuanting didn't look at him. After being locked in the cell, he sat cross-legged and remained silent throughout.
He knew that his weak father wouldn't offend the Emperor of Great Jin for his sake. To appease Emperor Changlong's anger, his father might even write a letter personally to reprimand him.
All these years of planning, everything should have gone smoothly. But ever since his strategist informed him of the failed assassination of Lin Huizhi at the relay station, unexpected events began to occur frequently.
It was as if the heavens were deliberately opposing him, causing accidents with every move he made. Even the strategist who had escaped to Yongzhou was captured by the Golden Armored Guards and brought to the Ministry of Justice.
He Yuanting looked up at the strategist in the blue robe, his eyes filled with indifference. It was as if he couldn't recognize him as his strategist.
The master and servant stared at each other through the prison cells until He Yuanting looked away.
The moment he was suspected by the Crown Prince of Great Jin, he had already lost. What use was there in delving into the past?
In a side hall of the Shoukang Palace, Second Princess leaned against the window sill in a daze. When Consort Xian entered, she sneered, "No need to pretend to be righteous in front of me."
"You're thinking too much," Consort Xian snorted, "I'm just here to tell you that the person you've been in contact with has been locked up in the Ministry of Justice prison."
"Are you lying to me?" the Second Princess turned her head sharply to look at Consort Xian.
"Believe it or not, I don't care," Consort Xian rolled her eyes, "I just can't understand why an imperial princess like you, who has never lacked food or clothing, would collude with a prince from another country. Are you not right in the head, or were you born a white-eyed wolf?"
"Father Emperor favors you so much that he's even unwilling to investigate my mother's death. As a child, seeking revenge for one's mother is not wrong," Second Princess glared at Consort Xian with a fierce gaze, "I only hate that girl, Hua Liuli, who kept ruining my plans."
Consort Xian furrowed her brows, "I've told you before, your mother died in childbirth. Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant to me. But I can't help but think that a treacherous person like you wouldn't go to such lengths for a mother you've never met."
"Do you still remember the Liu family?" The Second Princess's eyes carried a sense of longing, "It's the family that was implicated by the Crown Prince and was eventually found guilty of embezzlement, bribery, and land encroachment."
"Embezzlement, bribery, and land encroachment resulted in punishment according to the law. What does that have to do with you?"
"The person I love was the eldest son of the Liu family!" The Second Princess's voice was filled with grief, "If it weren't for them, how could Liu Lang have fallen ill and died when he was on his way to exile?"
Consort Xian suddenly realized, "So not only are you a white-eyed wolf, but your mind is also not quite right. Wasn't he exiled to the border because the Liu family had committed innumerable crimes?"
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: So young, yet so foolish.
To lure this big fish, the officials from the Ministry of Justice hadn't slept for three days and three nights. They collected handwriting samples from suspicious individuals and compared them one by one. After narrowing down the main suspects, they began investigating the movements of the people around them. They had to be accurate and clear in their investigation without arousing suspicion, so as not to jeopardize their subsequent plans.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice worked hard, but they were used to it.
When they found that the Third Prince of Daimao was the most suspicious, they knew couldn't simply arrest him and interrogate him. One reason was his special status, and the other was the lack of evidence.
A man with ambitions, cunning, and caution was extremely difficult to catch hold of. That's why the Hua family became particularly important in luring him in.
Recently, the Hua family had privately shown goodwill to the Third Prince of Daimao, causing him to start suspecting whether there was a conflict between the Hua family and the Ji family.
People with heavy ambitions and desires often think that everyone else in the world is the same as them. So the Third Prince of Daimao had never believed that the Ji and Hua families could be as close as a ruler and subject.
He Yuanting couldn't believe what was unfolding before his eyes. As he looked at the Crown Prince and the ministers of Great Jin, for the first time in his life, his gentle face twisted with a distorted expression, "Is all of this your trap?"
"Fortunately, these events have allowed us to see a more genuine side of Third Prince," the Crown Prince smiled and raised his hand, signaling the Golden Armored Guards to loosen the ropes and gags on the envoys from Daimao, "Great Jin has always maintained a friendly relationship with Daimao. However, the actions committed by your Third Prince have violated the interests of Great Jin."
The Daimao envoys, who had been forced to watch silently, didn't know what to say. They never expected that the Third Prince, who usually appeared gentle and humble, would have such a side.
He wanted to return to his country, not to mourn the deceased Crown Prince, but to contend for the position of Crown Prince.
Where did the Third Prince, who was not entangled by power and showed respect and closeness to the Crown Prince, go?
Gradually recovering from their shock, they fell into panic. Would the Third Prince's numerous transgressions provoke Great Jin to launch an attack on Daimao?
With Daimao's current strength, they absolutely had no ability to resist.
The Daimao envoys felt uneasy, yet no one dared to plead for He Yuanting. The other envoys who might have stood up to protest against Great Jin were not present here.
The room fell into silence until the Crown Prince ordered He Yuanting to be detained in the Ministry of Justice prison. One of the Daimao envoys finally mustered enough courage to speak, "Esteemed Crown Prince of Great Jin, although our Third Prince has committed great crimes, he..."
"So, are you suggesting that we should deal with your Third Prince after our two countries have negotiated?" the Crown Prince raised an eyebrow in response, "If that's how you want it to be, Gu can accommodate you."
Upon hearing these words, the Daimao envoys fell silent. Negotiate?
On what grounds?
He Yuanting looked at these envoys, who appeared weak and useless before the Crown Prince of Great Jin, and smiled bitterly, filled with both desolation and resentment. The harmony and abundance of talents among the officials of the Great Jin were remarkable. Meanwhile, Daimao had fallen into a strange circle that praised literature but suppressed agriculture, commerce, and the military. There were only these useless ministers left in the court, along with his foolish brothers. Daimao was in danger.
He didn't ask the Crown Prince of Great Jin when he started suspecting him, nor did he ask why the person he sent to handle Hua Liuli had failed. His gaze swept across everyone in the room, and finally, he glanced at Fushou Junzhu's personal maid. He allowed the officials from the Ministry of Justice to take him away.
The subordinate, who had disguised himself as a divine physician, saw that his Master was caught, and fell despairingly to the ground.
How did things turn out like this? Just this morning, he was full of fighting spirit and hope for the future. Why had everything changed in just a few short hours?
Falling from paradise into hell couldn't be more apt.
The Ministry of Justice prison had recently disposed of a group of prisoners, so some cells had become empty. The prisoner next to Prince A'Wa, the one whose term had ended, was released, while another who had blood on his hands was sentenced to be beheaded.
Prince A'Wa had grown accustomed to the talkative inmate who would occasionally curse him. Now that the talkative inmate had been set free, an unusual silence permeated the prison cells.
As he nibbled on a white steamed bun, Prince A'Wa perked up at the sound of shackles. Could it be that a new cellmate had arrived?
The person brought in was dressed in luxurious garments and wore a jade crown. He had a handsome appearance, much more attractive than Yunhan.
Many prisoners secretly stared at this person.
"He Yuanting?" Prince A'Wa recognized him. They had interacted a few years ago when he visited Daimao. In Prince A'Wa's memory, He Yuanting always followed behind the Crown Prince of Daimao, few people paid attention to him.
Upon hearing someone call his name, He Yuanting's steps faltered for a moment. He glanced at the greasy and obese man in the cell and coldly retracted his gaze.
The jailer opened the cell door next to Prince A'Wa and locked He Yuanting inside.
"You ended up here too?" Prince A'Wa couldn't hide his schadenfreude. When life became too bitter, it would be somewhat enjoyable to share the misery with others.
The strategist in the blue robe across the cell, who had remained expressionless, instantly rushed to the cell door, his eyes filled with worry and astonishment.
But He Yuanting didn't look at him. After being locked in the cell, he sat cross-legged and remained silent throughout.
He knew that his weak father wouldn't offend the Emperor of Great Jin for his sake. To appease Emperor Changlong's anger, his father might even write a letter personally to reprimand him.
All these years of planning, everything should have gone smoothly. But ever since his strategist informed him of the failed assassination of Lin Huizhi at the relay station, unexpected events began to occur frequently.
It was as if the heavens were deliberately opposing him, causing accidents with every move he made. Even the strategist who had escaped to Yongzhou was captured by the Golden Armored Guards and brought to the Ministry of Justice.
He Yuanting looked up at the strategist in the blue robe, his eyes filled with indifference. It was as if he couldn't recognize him as his strategist.
The master and servant stared at each other through the prison cells until He Yuanting looked away.
The moment he was suspected by the Crown Prince of Great Jin, he had already lost. What use was there in delving into the past?
In a side hall of the Shoukang Palace, Second Princess leaned against the window sill in a daze. When Consort Xian entered, she sneered, "No need to pretend to be righteous in front of me."
"You're thinking too much," Consort Xian snorted, "I'm just here to tell you that the person you've been in contact with has been locked up in the Ministry of Justice prison."
"Are you lying to me?" the Second Princess turned her head sharply to look at Consort Xian.
"Believe it or not, I don't care," Consort Xian rolled her eyes, "I just can't understand why an imperial princess like you, who has never lacked food or clothing, would collude with a prince from another country. Are you not right in the head, or were you born a white-eyed wolf?"
"Father Emperor favors you so much that he's even unwilling to investigate my mother's death. As a child, seeking revenge for one's mother is not wrong," Second Princess glared at Consort Xian with a fierce gaze, "I only hate that girl, Hua Liuli, who kept ruining my plans."
Consort Xian furrowed her brows, "I've told you before, your mother died in childbirth. Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant to me. But I can't help but think that a treacherous person like you wouldn't go to such lengths for a mother you've never met."
"Do you still remember the Liu family?" The Second Princess's eyes carried a sense of longing, "It's the family that was implicated by the Crown Prince and was eventually found guilty of embezzlement, bribery, and land encroachment."
"Embezzlement, bribery, and land encroachment resulted in punishment according to the law. What does that have to do with you?"
"The person I love was the eldest son of the Liu family!" The Second Princess's voice was filled with grief, "If it weren't for them, how could Liu Lang have fallen ill and died when he was on his way to exile?"
Consort Xian suddenly realized, "So not only are you a white-eyed wolf, but your mind is also not quite right. Wasn't he exiled to the border because the Liu family had committed innumerable crimes?"
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: So young, yet so foolish.
