Chapter 114 one one three

Cen Wenwen said slowly: "Since Your Highness has seen it, I will not hide it from you. Yes, I am protecting the crown prince, not only protecting him, but also protecting Hou Junji. The Northern Expedition is about to start. At this time, the emperor Will it cause turmoil in the court? The emperor is an emperor with ideas. If he is really determined to abolish the crown prince and kill the general, why bother to ask this person who should lose power for a hundred reasons? I think he already has it in his heart It is my opinion that this is just to let the ministers come to stabilize you. What the emperor has in his chest is different from yours. What he thinks about is the whole world. For him, nothing is as important as the decisive battle with Xieli."

Li Ke showed displeasure on his face: "Could it just let the East Palace go again like this?" Cen Wenwen put down the box in his hand, paused for a while and said: "For Your Highness, isn't it more beneficial for the emperor to let the East Palace go now than to abolish him?" Then, he went to the chessboard and held a piece of paper between his hands. Meizi said: "Donggong has already lost two corners in this game of chess, which can make people faintly feel defeated. Are you willing to continue with him, or start a new game with King Wei?" Li Ke was taken aback for a moment. , pondering the deep meaning hidden in his words.

Li Shimin continued to talk to many important officials in the court, except Cen Wenwen, and Li Jing and Wei Zheng who had returned to Beijing one after another. After negotiating with them, he finally made a final decision to downplay the attempted enthronement.As for the official presiding over the case, he thought of a surprising candidate——Wei Zheng.When Li Shimin asked Wei Zheng to invite him to preside over the case between the crown prince and Hou Junji, Wei Zheng was not willing. He said that he once forced the crown prince to kill his subordinates, which made the crown prince very displeased. The two had some quarrels. To interrogate him under such circumstances, I'm afraid I won't be able to let go, and I will miss the emperor's important matter.Li Shimin told him to just deal with it impartially, and he, the emperor, would take care of what was right and wrong.Seeing that the emperor's attitude was so firm, Wei Zheng couldn't refuse anymore.

When Li Ke's confidantes heard that Wei Zheng came to try the prince's case, they all rejoiced and gathered together in the Shu Palace, saying that the prince is really going to be finished this time, because everyone knows that Wei Zheng is the most fair person, and the prince has an old relationship with him. blame.Li Ke knew the content of the emperor's conversation when he went to see Cen Wenwen, and told everyone, you haven't understood the emperor's intention, the emperor did this to save the prince and Hou Junji.Wei Zheng has a good name, what he fears most when accepting this case is that the crown prince will be sentenced severely, others will say that he is avenging his own personal revenge, so he will do his best to clear the crown prince of the crime.Just look at it, the result of this matter must be that a major event is turned into a small matter.

Li Shimin's arrangement made Li Ke really upset, but he couldn't help admiring his father's skill. Wei Zheng is a famous direct minister, and letting him be elucidated by the prince and others, wouldn't it be more convincing to the world than the emperor himself many? After all, Wei Zheng is an official, and the two interrogations made the matter clear. Wei Zheng's solution was very simple. He knew that Hou Junji's father and daughter had an unusual relationship, so he interrogated Haitang first, and told her before the interrogation that Hou Junji's old injury had recurred, and the pain was severe.It is true that Hou Junji's old injury relapsed, but it was not as serious as Wei Zheng said.However, this mental trick really worked, and Haitang burst into tears when she heard it. She couldn't bear to see her elderly father being severely punished, so she confessed the matter, took all the blame on herself, and wanted to excuse her father.

Hou Junji was not as easy to judge as Haitang. Although he was imprisoned, he still maintained an arrogant expression as a general and ignored Wei Zheng, as if a dead pig was not afraid of boiling water.Wei Zheng asked him to confess all his crimes quickly, so as not to suffer from flesh and blood, he sneered: "Puff of flesh and blood! Who are you frightening! Wei Zheng, look at what this is? I have suffered enough with my flesh and blood. Why don't you add a little more to me?" As he said, he ripped off his clothes in a hurry, revealing dense scars, Wei Zheng's eyes fell on those scars, and he wanted to get angry, but he couldn't.He picked up Haitang's paper confession and shook it at Hou Junji: "It's okay if you don't want to recruit, anyway, someone has already recruited, and the princess insisted that it was her idea to lead the troops south. I will go back to the palace and report to the emperor for interrogation." outcome of the case."

Mentioning his daughter, Hou Junji panicked in his heart, and stretched out his hand to stop Wei Zheng: "Wait a minute, is the princess really doing this?" Wei Zheng knew that the fish had already taken the bait, and he felt secretly happy, but said calmly on his face: " Normally, this confession should not be seen by criminals, and I will make an exception for you today!" As he spoke, he handed over Haitang's confession, Hou Junji took it in his hand and read it, his face immediately changed, and he raised his head Shouted: "The Crown Princess is clearly lying, how can she be so capable as a woman. Well, you can interrogate me, and I will tell you everything you want to know."

A smile appeared on the corner of Wei Zheng's mouth: "Okay, bring a chair for Duke Lu." A messenger moved a chair, Hou Junji took a big step, sat upright, and told the whole story He made a fifty-fifty statement, and then honestly put a charge on the confession. After the trial of Hou Junji, Wei Zheng left. Li Shiji accompanied him through the camp and walked out, asking as he walked, "My lord, when will you come for the trial tomorrow? I'll have someone prepare prisoners for you." Wei Zheng replied Said: "The interrogation is over, I won't come tomorrow."

Li Shiji was startled, and secretly admired that Mr. Wei really lived up to his reputation, and made things clear so quickly.When he was approaching the gate of the camp, he cautiously said to Wei Zheng: "There is a sentence that the general should not have asked, but the emperor asked the general to guard the three of them. What's the crime? If it's a capital crime, the last general has to be extra careful, there are too many former princes and Hou Junji in the Imperial Guard." Wei Zheng glanced at him and replied: "What will they get? Sin, of course I can’t just say it casually. But you can’t be wrong if you watch it strictly!” Li Shiji was stunned, and thought to himself: “It’s amazing, it’s really watertight!”

After sending Wei Zheng out of the camp, Li Shiji's mind became heavy. After the trial of the case, he still didn't know how to convict him. He was really worried about what might happen. He visited the place where the three key criminals were imprisoned several times throughout the night.Hou Junji was not afraid of things, he had long slept and snored like thunder, but Haitang was preoccupied, sitting under the tree in the courtyard and staring at the sky in a daze.Li Shiji was worried, and stood outside the courtyard gate, watching her secretly for a while. Suddenly, Haitang turned his back to him and said: "General Li, is that you?" Li Shiji said: "The Crown Princess has heard the footsteps of the minister again?" Yes. I was the one who encouraged my father and the crown prince to do such treasonous things, and the emperor sent Wei Zheng to try the case. Wei Zheng and the crown prince have old grievances. It seems that I am doomed this time."

Li Shiji comforted her and said: "Crown Princess, don't think too badly, everything depends on the emperor's order." Haitang turned her face and said, "General, there is one thing I would like to ask you, can I meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" Li Shiji was stunned, seeing that she didn't know how to answer for a moment.With tears in her eyes, Haitang said: "I know that this matter is embarrassing for you, but Wei Zheng has already interrogated me, maybe in a few days, the three-foot white silk will be delivered from the palace, and I will never see him again. Li Shiji didn't dare to look at those teary eyes anymore, sighed, and walked out, Haitang shouted behind him, General, are you so hard-hearted?Li Shiji still didn't say a word, but Haitang's cry came from behind him.Li Shiji couldn't bear it in his heart, stopped to say a few words of comfort, but finally held back.After all, he is the coach here, and his status does not allow him to do so.Walking to the door, Li Shiji glanced at Hong En with deep meaning in his eyes.