The moment they saw Bai Mao, Uncle Xie Fang and Li Xia both had a look of confidence in their eyes almost at the same time.
Bai Mao was panicked. It was the first time for him to face such an occasion. He shrank like a mouse. He bowed and stood there with his neck hunched, trying his best to make himself inconspicuous.
Don't even dare to glance around.
With this comparison between him and the princes in the palace, the difference between the untouchables in the city and the high-ranking officials in the temple seems shocking.
Nie Zhongyou was also brought in. His body was covered in scars, his lips were chapped, and he was dragging his shackles weakly while walking.
Nie Zhongyou knelt on the ground, opened his mouth, and seemed to say something, but his voice was so vague that it was completely difficult to hear.
Li Xia looked at the shape of his mouth and guessed that he might have said something like "Nie Zhongyou, the former Sidu of the Imperial Palace, has met His Majesty," but he was not sure.
Nie Zhongyou had lowered his head, as if he could not kneel down and would lie down at any time.
Cheng Yuanfeng closed his eyes, as if he was falling asleep.
The one who came out for interrogation was Xiao Tailai, the supervisory censor.
Because in the case of Nie Zhongyou and Li Xia collaborating with the enemy, Xiao Tailai was the one who knew the details of the case best, so it would be more fair for him to come forward.
Although, he secretly took refuge in Uncle Xie Fang.
"Bai Mao, you accuse Nie Zhongyu, Li Xia and others of collaborating with the enemy and treason, okay?"
"yes……"
Bai Mao's voice was trembling, and his whole body was shaking. Unlike Lin Zi and Liu Jinsuo who were in awe and nervousness, he was afraid.
When Lin Zi and Liu Jinsuo saw this scene, they already understood what had happened. They were both furious, forgetting their nervousness, and looked at Bai Mao angrily.
If he hadn't been in this hall, Liu Jinsuo would have wanted to step forward, kick Bai Mao down, curse him, and ask him why he did this.
Xiao Tailai said again: "How specific? Tell us."
"Yes." Bai Mao stammered, talking about the situation in Longhu, Wanqiu County.
"At that time, the villain ran away from them and hid under the car floor. He was caught by the Beiren. That... villain was guilty and couldn't stand the punishment. He begged for mercy, but he actually didn't know anything and was of no use.
, he was just treated as a slave, working as a coolie in building a bridge in Bozhou, and asked the officials to punish him."
Xiao Tailai showed disdain and said calmly: "I won't punish you, just keep talking."
"Later, when the villain was building a bridge, he met Nie Zhongyu in Bozhou. He followed Zhang Hongdao, Zhang Rou's son, and nodded and bowed. The villain fawned over him and asked him to keep me by his side to do things.
It was then that the villain found out that Nie Zhongyou had defected to Mongolia and became a lackey. The villain was extremely disdainful of his rebellion, but he was looking forward to joining the Song Dynasty, so..."
"Don't talk nonsense, just talk about what is useful."
"Yes. Nie Zhongyou thought that I sincerely surrendered and regarded me as a confidant. He took me with him in many things. After more than half a month, Li Xia also arrived in Bozhou and was captured by the Zhang family. Moreover, Li Xia
He also defected and became Zhang Rou’s son-in-law..."
Many people glanced at Li Xia, but saw that Li Xia had a calm expression and did not even refute.
Bai Mao continued: "Li Xia and Nie Zhongyou often got together in Haozhou. Li Xia wanted to make a great contribution to the Zhang family, so he said he would return to the Song Dynasty to be a spy. After they discussed it, they made up a lie and forged a
We will collect the information and return to the Song Dynasty separately."
"The Zhang family trusts them? Can they be let back?"
"Li Xia is the son-in-law of the Zhang family. Nie Zhongyou said that he had been captured and it was impossible for the Song Dynasty to trust him."
"You're talking nonsense!" Liu Jinsuo shouted, "That's not what you said at all!"
"Quiet." Xiao Tailai stopped Liu Jinsuo and asked Bai Mao, "When did you see Li Xia in Bozhou City?"
Bai Mao said: "Mid-July."
Xiao Tailai asked Liu Jinsuo: "When did you and Li Xia separate in Yizhou?"
Liu Jinsuo said: "I can't remember the eighth and ninth days of July."
"How do you know that Li Xia didn't defect after you separated?"
"I don't believe it! He wouldn't do that!" Liu Jinsuo said firmly, "And he escaped."
Bai Maodao: "Li Xia made up the panic. In fact, he was caught in Weishan and surrendered."
"Nonsense!" Liu Jinsuo shouted: "He came back with Miss Gao, Miss Gao can testify."
Xiao Tailai said: "Li Xia, can someone testify for you? Why didn't you tell me just now?"
Li Xia said: "No, we are separated."
Liu Jinsuo and Lin Zi were stunned for a moment, wondering why Li Xia didn't let Gao Mingyue come to the imperial court to testify.
Xiao Tailai was also stunned for a moment, and seemed to swallow some prepared words.
He continued to ask Bai Mao: "What about you? What evidence is there?"
Bai Maodao: "Nie Zhongyou, like me, has a brand on the back of his neck, which can prove that he is the excommunicator of the Zhang family."
Two guards came forward, held Nie Zhongyu down, and pulled off his collar. They saw that there was an expulsion mark branded on the back of his neck.
"Your Majesty, there is indeed."
Xiao Tailai then reported: "Your Majesty, it has been confirmed that Nie Zhongyou defected."
Immediately, a guard came forward and held Li Xia down to prevent him from causing chaos.
"Your Majesty." Cheng Yuanfeng hurriedly stood up and carried out the execution. "I am scared and I don't know who I am. Please punish me."
"Cheng Qing, please get up, I don't blame you."
Zhao Yun responded lightly, glanced at the waiter beside him, and asked for another bottle of wine.
The chamberlain looked very embarrassed and seemed to be trying to dissuade him.
The eunuch Lu Yunsheng quietly placed another pot of wine on the table and had the waiter dragged off.
Although the ministers were not looking directly, all of them with sharp eyes saw this scene. Although they did not say anything at the moment, they planned to make a report later to advise His Majesty not to indulge in wine and sex.
In the hall, Zuo Shi Li Pleiying stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the evidence is conclusive. The arrest of Nie, Li and others by Prime Minister Zuo is not a personal grudge. I think that the censors criticized the Prime Minister Zuo for personal grudges. I beg your Majesty to investigate Wu Yan and others in detail.
Instructed by whom."
When Ding Daquan heard this, he sneered unnoticeably.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw Jia Sidao put his hand under the table and took out something.
Ding Daquan thought it was good evidence, and when he took a closer look, he saw that it was a small cage with a cricket inside. Jia Sidao was half-hiding it in his sleeves and playing with it, as if it had nothing to do with him.
The son of a maid...
Ding Daquan withdrew his gaze and glanced casually.
Wu Yan understood and went out to ask: "If this is the case, since the Zhang family wants them to sneak back to the Song Dynasty, why do they want to brand Nie Zhongyou? Aren't they afraid of exposing their secrets?"
"At the beginning, the Zhang family did not want Nie Zhongyou to return to the Song Dynasty as a spy. It was only after Li Xia defected that he proposed it." Bai Mao said: "Li Xia is so bold in what he does. He said that as long as he returns to the Song Dynasty, he will be able to deceive
Everyone, let the officials and officials believe his words."
When he said this, all the princes in the palace looked at Li Xia's calm and confident look, and could already imagine his eloquent demeanor in front of Zhang Rou.
Bai Mao said aggrievedly: "The villain knows that he is stupid and his brain is not as good as Li Xia. If you argue with him in front of others, others will definitely believe him and not the villain."
Xiao Tailai said at the right time: "Don't say anything else, you all can make your own decisions. The Northerners don't use Li Xia as a spy, so why do they still use thieves like you as spies?"
Wu Yan said: "This is too ridiculous. If Li Xia rebelled against the enemy, it would be to survive. How could he return to the Song Dynasty and become a spy? It is simply nonsense."
Xiao Tailai said: "Bai Mao, you said Li Xia and Nie Zhongyou were treasonous, so what is the purpose of returning to the Song Dynasty?"
"They...intended...to assassinate the official family."