Chapter 24 fourth quarter

In the Qingsi Hall late at night, the atmosphere was particularly chilling. In anger, the emperor ordered that all the bodyguards of Princess Youchun be killed that day, leaving no one behind.The other companions, no matter princes and princes or prostitutes in Jiaofang, were all sent to Dali Temple as suspects. No one was allowed to leave until the case was revealed, and it was useless for anyone to intercede. After killing and punishing severely, the emperor's anger did not diminish at all, and he was still pacing back and forth in the hall like a violent tiger.Finally, he stopped in front of Pei Xuanjing and said sharply, "You, what else do you want to say?"

There seemed to be two blazes burning in his eyes, but there was a chill in his tone of voice. After returning from Qujiang to the Daming Palace, Pei Xuanjing has been kneeling here until now.She saw Tianwei for the first time, and she really understood why everyone she met in Daming Palace, from the sisters of the Song family to Chen Hongzhi, had deep fear hidden in the depths of every pair of eyes. She raised her head and replied blankly: "I don't understand what Your Majesty means." "You don't understand?" the emperor said sharply, "Okay! Then tell me now how I trust you, and how you betray my trust!"

"...The concubine didn't report to His Majesty that Song Ruoyin had made the wooden box of the Fushi wooden box to kill the murder weapon in time." "That's right! Then, how should I punish you?" Pei Xuanjing bowed her head and remained silent. "Your Majesty..." Song Ruohua, who knelt side by side with Pei Xuanjing, said weakly, "Your Majesty, this matter is all my concubine's crime. Because my concubine insisted on begging, the refiner agreed to temporarily conceal it. It is my concubine who deceived the king. I beg your majesty to punish my concubine." , don't blame Lian, Master Lian..." She was too weak, and she seemed to be trying her best every time she said a word.After finishing a short paragraph, he was already out of breath and nearly collapsed.

"Shut up!" The emperor pointed at Song Ruohua, "As my inner secretary, I always respect you as 'Mr. You, you..." He gasped for several breaths before the emperor gritted his teeth and continued, "You two are lucky today, only Du Qiuniang died, if an accident happened to Princess Xiangyang... I will punish your nine clans! " Pei Xuanjing cried out, "Your Majesty, I have something to say!" "You?" The emperor smiled ferociously, "Okay, let's hear it." "Your Majesty, if the concubine had reported the secret of the Fushi wooden box to His Majesty, it would have been impossible for Mrs. Shang Shu to go to the supervisor to make a new wooden box. Then, the fact that Song Ruoyin had made two wooden boxes at that time would not have been revealed. The clues It is also impossible to lead to Du Qiuniang. The concubine admits that it is my fault that I took some time to find Du Qiuniang. However, Princess Xiangyang will go out with Du Qiuniang and others, and Du Qiuniang also carries the wooden box of Fushi with her. Unpredictable things. Therefore, the concubine believes that the fault of the concubine is that she failed to warn Du Qiuniang, causing her to be killed by the wooden box of the Fushi, and also put Princess Xiangyang in danger. Of course, His Majesty should punish the concubine. But the concubine arrived in Qujiang in time On the other hand, Princess Xiangyang has been prevented from encountering accidents, even if it is not a credit, His Majesty should not be punished for the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

As soon as Pei Xuanjing finished speaking, even Song Ruohua stared at her in disbelief. It was audacious to contradict the emperor when he was in a rage.What's more, Pei Xuanjing's remarks just now are not even arguing with reason, anyone can tell that she is simply sophistry! The emperor stared at Pei Xuanjing for a long time before asking expressionlessly, "What exactly do you want to say?" Pei Xuanjing kowtowed and said, "I request Your Majesty to allow my concubine to continue to investigate this case. I will definitely die without hesitation, and I will pay my merits and crimes."

"...Can I still trust you?" "Does Your Majesty believe in Dali Temple?" "Why don't you believe it? At least they dare not lie to me." "If you can't find anything, you don't have to lie." The emperor sneered: "Are you that confident?" Pei Xuanjing straightened her body and said: "Your Majesty, this concubine has never deliberately lied to Your Majesty. There is only one thing in my heart, and that is to complete the tasks entrusted by Your Majesty. Please..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably, and she knelt down and adjourned her , "I beg Your Majesty to learn from you."

The emperor didn't say a word for a long time. The air in Qingsi Hall was stagnant, and the smell of ambergris became more and more prominent, as ethereal as a miracle, elusive and embarrassing.It is indeed too difficult to insist on oneself in this environment. Suddenly there was a crisp sound, and on the silk carpet in front of Pei Xuanjing's eyes, jade-colored fragments splashed in all directions. It turned out that the emperor swept the teacup on the imperial case to the ground, pointed at the curtain and shouted: "What are you doing hiding there, get out!" Chen Hongzhi crawled out from behind the curtain, kowtowed again and again: "Bong, by everyone's order, I just came back from Dali Temple and Temple, so I dare not disturb everyone..."

"Tell me! What's going on there?" "The Minister of Dali Temple is still interrogating the suspect overnight, and there is no conclusion yet." "They're all rubbish!" "Da, everyone... There is one more thing..." Chen Hongzhi's tongue was tied. "talk!" "Yes... Dali Temple went to the prison to arrest the apprentice craftsman who made wooden boxes, and found him, he hanged himself." "Hanging?" "Jiangzuo Dajiang originally locked him in the room and planned to re-trial. Unexpectedly, he took off his belt and hanged himself on the beam."

The emperor's face sank like water, and after a long time, he said: "Forget it, I will give you another chance." Pei Xuanjing shuddered, knowing that he was talking to herself, she quickly kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty." "However, if you miss again this time..." "Xuan Jing is at His Majesty's discretion." The emperor shook his head slowly: "No, what you have to consider at that time is - who will be involved." Pei Xuanjing couldn't help shivering. Since you dare to challenge, you must be prepared to bear the consequences.She knew she was cornered.This is always the case with the emperor, and every time he wants her to pay a higher price.

Pei Xuanjing said: "Your Majesty, I have one more request." "Say." "Your Majesty, please order the release of the suspects detained in Dali Temple." "Why?" "Your Majesty, when Du Qiuniang was salvaged ashore, my concubine inspected it. There was a black spot on her right thumb, which was exactly the same as Song Ruoyin's. Therefore, although the wooden box for the shaman was not found, Du Qiuniang died of the poisonous pen on the wooden box. There is no doubt about it. This also proves that those who accompanied the spring tour have nothing to do with this case. If they are detained and interrogated blindly, if some people can't survive the torture, or even die under the rod, it will not only The case will not help, and it may damage the royal reputation..."

"All right, all right." The emperor interrupted Pei Xuanjing impatiently, "Since I have entrusted you with full powers to investigate this case, you can do as you please. I will give Dali Temple Minister a word of advice." "As for you—" the emperor turned to Song Ruohua, and his tone softened slightly, "You three sisters should self-confine in the Persimmon Forest Courtyard. You are not allowed to come and go at will until the case is revealed. I... will not let the Shence Army make things difficult for you." "His Majesty……" "Back off." The emperor waved his hand. Song Ruohua asked: "Your Majesty, what about Fushi?" "Fushi?" The emperor frowned, "Why are you still mentioning this now?" "Please make it clear, Your Majesty!" "Of course I can't do it again!" The emperor became angry again, "It's because of this shaman that several lives have been ruined, and I don't want to be a foolish king who insists on going his own way!" "But Your Majesty, the Fushi was born from a snake problem, so it shouldn't give up halfway..." Pei Xuanjing looked at Song Ruohua in surprise, was she too sad and confused?Why are you so ignorant, ignorant of good and evil? "Stop talking! You step back—" the emperor flicked his sleeves and turned behind the screen. "Your Majesty!" Song Ruohua kneeled in front of the emperor, blocking his way, in full view of everyone. "Your Majesty!" She raised her hands, mourning like weeping, "Your Majesty, Ruoyin died for supporting a spirit. I would like to complete this task on her behalf...Your Majesty!" The emperor shouted: "What are you doing, are you crazy! I will tell you now that the snake problem in the capital has been eliminated, and there is no need to do the work of helping the spirit. You are not allowed to mention it again, and no one is allowed to mention it! Anyone who violates it will be executed. !" Song Ruohua was stunned for a moment, and then rushed forward.A large pool of bright red blood spewed out from her mouth, just in front of the emperor's feet. It was the first time in Pei Xuanjing's life that he visited the cell of Dali Temple. All cases handled by Dali Temple are serious cases of the imperial court, and the prison cells are heavily guarded.The cell walls made of whole feldspar are damp and covered with moss all year round.In early spring, a thin layer of frost formed on the yellowish-green moss, and the chill was oppressive. Cui Miao sat against the wall, her eyes were closed, her face was very pale. Pei Xuanjing squatted down beside him.The clothes on Cui Miao's body were torn in many places, bloodstained, and welt marks on the skin could be clearly seen from the cuts. Her heart was filled with soreness, and her eye sockets became hot all of a sudden. When Cui Miao heard the movement, she opened her eyes. Seeing that it was Pei Xuanjing, she said happily, "It's you? Are you here?" "it's me." Pei Xuanjing gently opened the front of his clothes, and this time she could see more clearly, there were many welts all over his chest.She couldn't help taking a deep breath, and said angrily, "It's so ruthless!" "If you don't hit me, who will I hit?" Cui Miao didn't care. "Among the people in the company, princes and princes are not allowed to be beaten, for fear of retaliation in the future. Song girls and prostitutes are also not allowed to be beaten. Nephrite and Wenxiang were all in their arms. I can't make a living by relying on that delicate skin. It seems that I am the only charlatan who doesn't beat me for nothing. No one complains of injustice when I am disabled, and no one cares if I am beaten to death, so... ..." When he fell into this field, he could still laugh. After Pei Xuanjing snatched the case from the emperor, she rushed to Dali Temple overnight to ask the case.Because the case involved the princess of Xiangyang, and the dead was Du Qiuniang, the number one prostitute in the capital. It's like dropping a big rock.In this kind of case, it is the responsibility to make the right decision, and the consequences will be disastrous if the decision is wrong.Princess Xiangyang is the emperor's darling, as for that Du Qiuniang... Dali Temple Qing had just handed over the case to Pei Xuanjing, and then hurriedly avoided it. As Cui Miao said, it has been several hours since the case happened, and the Dali Temple Minister has not made any progress at all, because there are almost no one to try in this case: Song Ruoyin is dead, Du Qiuniang is dead, Lao Zhang and shopkeeper Qian are dead.Now even the apprentice carpenter surnamed Shi who will be the prisoner is dead.You can't get a confession from the dead, so what about the living?The sisters of the Song family are hidden in the deep palace. As long as the emperor doesn't speak, no one can directly arrest them.The men and women who went out in the spring that day had reasons not to torture them, not to mention that they couldn't find out what happened.As for Princess Xiangyang, she was directly escorted into the Daming Palace after the incident.Whether the emperor personally questioned her is unknown.But one thing is certain, the princess was quite frightened, and the emperor would never allow anyone to disturb her again.As a result, Dali Siqing had no choice but to spend these few hours to torture Cui Miao.If Pei Xuanjing came later, and Dali Temple Minister used all eighteen weapons of torture to extract confessions, Cui Miao's life would be in jeopardy. She took out her handkerchief, wiped the sweat off Cui Miao's face, and asked softly, "What are they doing just beating you?" "Don't you just want to force me to confess? The official has no other way but to find a scapegoat." "Then they made a mistake." Cui Miao smiled: "Jing Niang still understands me. What about you, have you suffered?" Pei Xuanjing shook her head. "Jing Niang, do you know what was going through my mind when I was being beaten?" "what?" "I miss you." Cui Miao said softly, "I was thinking why you rushed to the Qujiang River suddenly, and why you hugged me so nervously and cried? You look so beautiful when weeping, I just need to stare and think, and even beat me with a whip. I don't feel any pain anymore..." "Nonsense." "Really. I'm still thinking, if I really do not escape this time, and Dali Siqing beats me to death, will you shed more tears for me?" Pei Xuanjing said angrily: "The more you talk, the more energetic you are!" She clenched her fist and wanted to beat him, but then she thought that he had just been tortured, and finally couldn't bear it, so the fist just landed lightly on his shoulder.Taking advantage of the situation, Cui Miao took her hand into her own and said in a low voice, "So Jingniang came to save me, right? I know, you won't just let me die." Pei Xuanjing held hands with him, lowered her eyes and said, "Tell me first, why did you go out for a spring outing with Princess Xiangyang? When did you meet such people?" "Ha, Dali Temple has asked this question countless times, and Cui has answered it countless times, so why not tell Jingniang again. The person I know is not Princess Xiangyang, but Du Qiuniang. I have treated Qiuniang before. Some small problems, and later helped her house to kill snakes, so a little friendship was formed. Qiuniang is the number one singer in the capital, and the princess of Xiangyang likes to dance and dance. They are old acquaintances. Princess Xiangyang invited Qiuniang to accompany her during the Spring Outing during the Zhonghe Festival. As for me, Qiuniang thought it was worth taking me with me." At this point, Cui Miao smiled slightly, not knowing whether she was proud or afraid. Pei Xuanjing was originally listening intently, but when she saw his expression, she suddenly became angry, pulled her slender hand out of his palm, and asked: "What about the wooden box of Fushi that Du Qiuniang carried with him, has Cui Lang ever opened it?" "Du Qiuniang said that she wanted to go to the bank of the Qujiang River to support the spirits, where the willows blow the wind and the apricot blossoms are in bud. It is a good place to seek luck for the new year. In fact, Cui has never taken these things seriously, and it is strange to say nothing. But since Qiuniang I like it, just to have fun with her. I don’t know where the wooden box came from, and I haven’t opened it. At that time, I was drunk and drunk. Qiu Niang called me to go to the bank of Qujiang, and I went out with her. The bill was settled. Who would have thought that when the river wind blows, the smell of alcohol rises, and he falls down in a whirl... When he woke up again, he saw Jing Niang holding me, crying and shouting..." Cui Miao smiled again , "Jing Niang, you haven't answered me yet, why did you come to the bank of the Qujiang River, and it seems that you knew that Qiu Niang and I would be in danger? Also, what happened to the wooden box of the Fushi, why did Dali Temple Qing and Are you staring at it and asking?” Pei Xuanjing avoided his gaze: "Since Cui Lang doesn't know the inside story, stop asking." "Oh? Then I was beaten in vain?" "Being beaten is a minor matter, as long as you can escape." Pei Xuanjing said, "I know that Cui Lang has nothing to do with this case, but others may not think so, so let's leave as soon as possible." "Then what about Qiuniang? She can't come back from the dead." "The case will always be investigated, and the dead Du Qiuniang will be given an explanation at that time." Cui Miao stared at Pei Xuanjing, and said slowly: "If I guess correctly, Jingniang is not just here to visit me, Jingniang is here to investigate the case?" "Yes." Pei Xuanjing admitted, "I've taken this case forward." "Really? Jingniang admires Cui so much. Jingniang dares to take over a case that even the minister of Dali Temple can't do anything about." Pei Xuanjing remained silent. Cui Miao still stared at her intently: "The most important thing is that the Holy Majesty trusts Jingniang so much and entrusts you with a case related to the secrets of the palace, which shows the importance of Jingniang in his heart." "Cui Lang said too much. I just happened to meet the accident of Princess Xiangyang, so the Holy Majesty..." "No, no, no." Cui Miao interrupted her, "I'm not talking about that ignorant girl, Princess Xiangyang, but Du Qiuniang!" "What happened to Du Qiuniang?" "You don't know?" Cui Miao looked at Pei Xuanjing, her eyes filled with unbelievable sarcasm, "You don't even know? Then what kind of case is still being settled? It can be seen that the emperor doesn't trust you that much! Or, he is only using Trust you within your limits..." He shook his head repeatedly. Pei Xuanjing stood up: "Let's go. I'll send Cui Lang away from Dali Temple right away." When leaving the imperial city from the Shunyi Gate on the west side of Dali Temple, the morning bell had just struck the first time.The sky in the east is calm, and the city of Chang'an is still shrouded in the mist of early spring dawn. There are very few pedestrians swaying on the street, their bodies are indistinct, as if they are separated by a huge glass window. The morning wind was still piercing, Pei Xuanjing hesitated for a moment, then untied the baggage she carried with her, took out the cloak inside, and put it on Cui Miao's shoulders.When she came, she thought that Cui Miao must have been tortured and must have been bruised and naked, so she specially brought this cloak to keep him out of the cold. Cui Miao didn't even look at her, and didn't thank her, instead she frowned and said, "No, I have to go back to Dali Temple." "why?" "Is Qiuniang still inside?" "It's still in the mortuary at the moment..." Pei Xuanjing lowered her eyes and said, "I took a look before I came." "Oh, how is she?" "No change, just like falling asleep." Even with her head down, she could still feel Cui Miao's eyes fixed on her. Cui Miao said word by word: "When she was alive, every day was as lively as cooking oil, but now she can only lie alone in the morgue. Those who used to hold a lot of gold and silver treasures, want to Those who want to see the beauty; those who chased around like mad bees and butterflies, and swore to die under the pomegranate skirt, where are they now? Why can’t even see a single one? In the end, I’m afraid I’m the only one This quack has gone to collect her body!" He turned his head and asked Pei Xuanjing, "Can I go, chief interrogator?" Pei Xuanjing was silent. Cui Miao's tone became sad and indignant: "Du Qiuniang is just a prostitute. Although she is not pure and pure, she is still a daughter. She is dead, so I beg Lord Jingniang to let her go." When he said the last few words , he could no longer suppress the pain, and his voice became hoarse. Pei Xuanjing remained silent. Cui Miao said: "In that case, I'd better go back to the cell." "You...you go to collect the corpse!" Pei Xuanjing was very sad. Just as Cui Miao was about to turn around, she stopped again and said, "Do you want Jing Niang to go together and supervise the on-site supervision? Let me, a cunning villain, play tricks again." Pei Xuanjing looked away angrily. Seeing that she ignored her, Cui Miao sarcastically said: "Now you know why Qiuniang looks at me differently, right? Cui is not talented, but she is a kind person. I always thought that Jingniang was also a kind and righteous person. It's a pity that Jing Niang has changed a little now." Pei Xuanjing blurted out, "What do you think I've changed?" "Perhaps the people we deal with have changed, so Jingniang's affection is also different than before—it has become more targeted." After leaving this particularly hurtful sentence, Cui Miao strode back to Dali Temple to collect Du Qiuniang's body. Pei Xuanjing froze in place, unable to recover for a long time. Du Qiuniang died tragically, and she was treated unfairly, so Cui Miao wanted to vent her anger - Pei Xuanjing could understand all this.But why should he question her kindness? She was willing to take a huge risk to grab this case from the emperor's hands. What was it for? Pei Xuanjing didn't count on Cui Miao's gratitude, but she always believed that at least there was a kind of gentle tacit understanding between them.This kind of tacit understanding has nothing to do with Fengyue, but the mutual understanding of two people who are similar in nature.In the process of tracing the truth of "Lanting Preface", she and Cui Miao established this kind of understanding, which is what she cherishes extremely. The world is boundless and complicated.Both he and her involved too much and were too complicated, so it was impossible to imagine the future.But as long as there is sympathy, she will not feel too alone.Even if the relationship between them was defined by the words "each is their master", Pei Xuanjing didn't care.Because she always believed that both herself and Cui Miao were essentially "ownerless" people.No owner, no family, no relatives, no reason, this is the root of the two of them. Shouldn't quack doctors and female Taoist priests be the most wandering and free people in the world? But today, Cui Miao made it clear that in his eyes, their respective ties have become opposites, and they are incompatible. The morning bell rang again.The waning moon still hangs high in the sky, euphemistically like frowning eyebrows, as lonely as she is.