There were more than ten people standing or sitting in such a huge palace. However, no matter whether it was the emperor sitting in the palace, the powerful men standing on the palace steps, Huangmen, or the courtiers below, they all remained silent.
The emperor's face was full of weirdness, and he couldn't help but waved: "Come closer!"
Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei said yes, and they all took a few steps forward and stopped under the first palace steps. They stretched out their necks so that the emperor could see their miserable state.
It’s really miserable!
For example, although Yuan Wei is not as handsome as Yuan Ke or Yuan Yue, he can at least be said to have fair skin, elegant appearance, and regular facial features.
But now he looks like a black monkey?
When the fire burst out, it hit Yuan Wei's face accurately. No matter what color it was before, it all turned black. Including the skin: it was too close at that time, and the temperature of the fire was not too low. The layer of oil on the surface was burned?
Yuan Wei didn't have time to take precautions, and his eyes were smoked. At this time, his eyeballs were filled with bloodshot eyes. Moreover, he was filled with anger and would spit out his teeth from time to time, which were white and bright...
Anyway, what does the emperor think? Why does Yuan Wei look like a monkey...
Changsun Gong was not much better.
Although not as dark as Xun Cheng Yuanwei, his eyebrows and beard were all burnt off. Not only that, his hair was attracted and his scalp was burned.
When the imperial doctor applied the medicine, he removed a few pieces of hair from the injured area, as if it had been chewed by a dog. Changsun Gong kept doing this and shaved off all his hair.
With the lengthened white, it now looks like a large egg...
The emperor clutched the armrests of the royal couch tightly, veins popped up on the backs of his hands, and he couldn't control his smile. He had no choice but to look away first...
When he turned his head, he saw Li Chengzhi with a sinister look on his face.
He rolled up his sleeves and hooked his waist, stretched his neck and stared at those two people with his big eyes, as if in great surprise...
Li Chengzhi really didn’t know what to say other than admiration.
He just wanted to destroy those three books. He really didn't think about what to do to Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei. But who would have thought that he would almost burn these two to death?
The palace reserve book contains the seals of the emperor and the secretary-general. The original book, which is the one painted by Li Chengzhi, also has the seals of Huben Zhonglang General Yuan Yuan and Recruiting Guard General Yuan Yan.
It was difficult to replace these two volumes, so Li Chengzhi could only tamper with the original volumes.
It's hard to say, but it's easy to say: use curly ear mixed with cuttlefish ink and other substances to grind the juice, and trace it along the original handwriting. After a period of time, although the handwriting cannot completely disappear, it will turn into ink balls.
But there was only three days, and there was definitely not enough time. Li Chengzhi thought again: This kind of ink will react faster when exposed to heat... Just like fax paper and supermarket receipts, it should be placed in a close-fitting pocket, at most three to five times. Oh my God, I can’t see the handwriting clearly...
But who would carry such a big book in their arms? Li Chengzhi thought about it and added some things that can heat themselves: the main ingredients are white phosphorus, fire salt, and metallic sulfur.
White phosphorus is not difficult to make: add urine and sand and boil it hard...
But this thing is not an ordinary danger: the ignition point is only 40 degrees. Let alone lighting it with fire, it can catch fire if you accidentally drop it or scratch it with your fingernail.
But who would have expected that these two were so desperate that they would dare to stand in front of an open fire and watch?
They are lucky if they are not burned to death on the spot...
As I was muttering in my heart, I suddenly heard the emperor's voice: "Li Chengzhi?"
"I'm here!"
"After much thought, I always feel that even if you have destroyed all the books, it should be useless?"
Would I admit it if I had a bad brain?
Li Chengzhi pointed at the sky and the earth and shouted: "Your Majesty, I am wronged... This matter really has nothing to do with me.
Your Majesty, please think about it. In addition to the original books, I also borrowed the official records from the Zhongyamen and the palace. If I were to take action, wouldn't I be afraid of burning down the Zhonglang's Yamen and the palace where the books are stored? By then,
Even if I have a hundred heads, it won’t be enough to cut him off...
I don’t know, but the book was in good condition when it was in my hands. But why did it spontaneously burn without fire when it was in the hands of the eldest grandson Sima and General Yuan Lang... Well, that’s not right?”
After a short pause, Li Chengzhi seemed to wake up from a dream, "Who said there is no fire? It should be that Sima and General were too close to the lamp..."
What a good thief, at this moment, he is actually saying sarcastic words?
Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei wanted to pounce on him and bite him twice.
The emperor also looked at him sideways.
Although he didn't know how Li Chengzhi did it, he was 90% sure that it was definitely Li Chengzhi's doing.
When it comes to playing with fire, Li Chengzhi admits that he is second, and it is estimated that no one in the world dares to admit that he is first...
Yuan Ke sighed deeply: "Did you develop something to set fire again? If so, give it to me, and I will forgive you for not being guilty this time?"
Are you kidding?
You have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to be fooled like this.
Li Chengzhi shook his head like a pendulum clock: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. Did you really not do it for me?"
Is this a posture that you won’t admit even to death?
The emperor was speechless. He looked up at Yuan Yuan and Ting Weiqing You Zhao: "I've been checking for half a day. Have you found any evidence of arson?"
The two men blinked and looked at Li Chengzhi intently, but did not speak.
Voucher?
Not to mention the voucher, not even a trace was found.
You Zhao raised his hand and responded in a solemn voice: "The minister has entered the recruitment office. The three offices have been burned like a charcoal cellar. Not to mention the books, the desks, the bed, the bookshelf, and even the roof.
They were all burned into a handful of ashes, with no trace left...
I also questioned all the officials and officials who were present one by one, and found nothing out of the ordinary. Forgive me for my incompetence, but I really can’t find any trace of deliberate arson..."
What I mean today is that the fire was probably unintentional...
Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei were so angry that they wanted to greet You Zhao's ancestors on the spot.
Don't look at this old man's appearance, he doesn't look like an official at all, just like an old farmer. But he is not only a court official, but also a servant.
You Zhaoben was a great Confucian of the time. In terms of knowledge, Liu Fang and Cui Guang were probably inferior to him. Therefore, when Yuan Ke had not established a crown prince and was only the second son of Emperor Xiaowen, You Zhao was his teacher. After he was crowned crown prince,
You Zhao has always been an official in the East Palace and the prince's tutor. He can be called Yuan Ke's confidant...
His temperament is not ordinary: when Gao Zhao was at the height of his power, he wanted to change his name, but You Zhao retorted: the name "Zhao" was given by the late emperor, and if he wanted to change it, he would not change it unless the late emperor gave him a decree.
It means that if you have the ability, you can bring Emperor Xiaowen back to life...
Yuan Wei finally couldn't hold it back and asked full of resentment: "I dare to ask the temple officials and assistant officials. Although the officials' words are not abnormal, why did the temple officials not accept the testimony of a certain person and the eldest grandson Sima several times?"<
/p>
You Zhao flicked his sleeves: "Both of you are just conjectures and cannot be trusted!"
Are you testifying? It's obviously nonsense.
He claims that Li Chengzhi can cast demons, so he must be setting fire from afar?
They had already entered the palace and were waiting outside Shiqian Hall, several miles away from the place where the fire broke out...
Even You Zhao said this, what can the emperor do?
It is true as Li Chengzhi said, the book was fine in his hands, but why did it suddenly catch fire as soon as it was in the hands of Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei?
And it was the two of them who took it away by force, not Li Chengzhi who forced it on them...
I can only blame Li Chengzhi’s design for being too clever, and these two being too impatient and having bad luck...
The emperor pondered for a while, then pointed at Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei: "Have you ever heard what Qingsi Qing said?"
The two of them were shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief.
This means that it can only be treated as an accidental fire...
"Your Majesty, I am wronged!"
Yuan Wei knelt down with a bang and said sternly, "This plan must not be carried out by Li Chengzhi alone. As long as he captures his dozens of servants, he will be able to find out the clues..."
The emperor didn't respond either. He just observed Li Chengzhi's expression carefully. Seeing that he just sneered faintly but showed no signs of panic, Yuan Ke knew that Li Chengzhi was really not afraid of this.
Except for himself, as long as Li Liang knows some details, what does Li Chengzhi have to worry about?
If just a torture could force Li Liang to submit, how could Li Chengzhi dare to summon him to the capital?
The emperor turned his head and looked at You Zhao again: "What do you think?"
You Zhaogong cupped his hands: "Your Majesty: Under torture, what can you ask for?"
It means that confessions obtained through torture and interrogation are not credible, and today’s matter does not require such labor and effort...
The emperor suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth and glanced at You Zhao thoughtfully.
Yuan Yuan was also a little confused.
If You Zhao just spoke out and impartially, this sentence obviously meant to deflect Li Chengzhi.
Shouldn't it?
Although You Zhao is not as incompatible with Gao Zhao as Yu Zhong is, the hatred between the two is not small. From this point of view, he should not turn towards Li Chengzhi?
Li Chengzhi also couldn't figure it out, so the emperor had some guesses.
First, Li Chengzhi has a literary reputation, has lofty ambitions, and is as strong as iron. You Zhao loves Wujiwu, so he naturally regards him as a similar person.
Second, the You family lived in Ren County (now Renze District, Xingtai City, Hebei Province), and the Wei family lived in Julu (now Julu County, Xingtai City). The two families were only ten miles away from each other, and they had been related by marriage for generations...
…
Everyone in the capital knew that the Li and Wei families were going to get married, and they were all waiting to see Gao Zhao's joke. How could You Zhao not hear about it?
The emperor sighed secretly and waved his sleeves: "That's it, let's finish this matter, Li Chengzhi stays, and the rest can leave..."
Changsun Gong and Yuan Wei were angry and anxious, and they were both stunned.
When I came here, I had imagined that even if Li Chengzhi could not be made to pay for his crime with death, he could still be made to peel off his skin. At least this tiger would not be able to do anything anymore.
Who knew it would end like this?
The edict had been issued, and the two of them did not dare to make any noise. In desperation, they kept looking at Yuan Yuan.
Yuan Yuan didn't want to pretend to be ignorant, so he bowed to the emperor as if nothing happened.
It wasn't until he turned around that he glared at the two of them, and then pouted toward the outside of the palace calmly, meaning to be wise and get out of here.
The two secretly resented each other and had no choice but to bow down and leave.
After leaving the palace, the two of them stopped Yuan Yuan together, twisting their faces to be as ferocious as they wanted: "Zhonglang, until now, we don't dare to ask Zhonglang to reverse the case for us. We only ask Zhonglang to reverse the case for us."
Can Lang clear up the official’s doubts:
Your Majesty has obviously suspected that this matter is closely related to the thief, but why are you so decisive?"
Why else?
Because Your Majesty knows very well that even if you force You Zhao to investigate, you probably won’t be able to find anything.
It's not that You Zhaohui was acting for public benefit, but that the emperor concluded that Li Chengzhi had been prepared for it, and it would be a mistake in the end.
As for arresting Li's servants and forcing them to confess?
The imperial court has its own laws, and even the emperor cannot do everything as he pleases: No matter how bad Li Chengzhi is, he is still an official of the imperial court. How can a fifth-rank official arrest his family members without any reason?
Of course, if the emperor is completely evil, he can still kill Li Chengzhi without trial or sentence. But His Majesty is becoming increasingly fond of him...
Yuan Yuan gently waved his sleeves: "What is there to doubt? The sentence imposed by Yousiqing is not unfair. Your Majesty can't force a wrong sentence, right? You two don't want to complain, let's just let this matter go..."
/p>
How can you not be angry?
My cousin had just been shot and was crippled, and he himself had been disfigured. The feud with Li Chengzhi was already irreconcilable, how could he just let it go?
Yuan Wei gritted his teeth tightly, and his voice seemed to be squeezed out of his throat: "I dare to ask Zhonglang, as a general, how should I behave in the future?"
Why, do you still want to take revenge and go back?
You only think that the reason why I promoted you to be a general and the eldest son, Sun Gong, to be a Sima is because I want to avenge your cousin Yuan Yi. But why don’t you think about it, besides being members of the same clan, do we have any other friendship?<
/p>
It’s just because of His Majesty’s secret instructions...
After what happened today, Your Majesty must have understood that there is no way you two can defeat Li Chengzhi.
It could take as long as three or two days, or as long as tomorrow. It is estimated that His Majesty will give instructions to transfer these two people away...
Yuan Yuan sighed secretly and said solemnly: "Zhongjie, do you ever remember that you asked this question on the day you were promoted to general? How did I say to you:
Be loyal to your duties, do your best, and don't hide selfish motives... If you had listened to me earlier, why would you have been in this disaster today? That's all, think about it for yourself..."
Grandpa is thinking about a bird feather?
If you don’t let me have my own selfish thoughts, why did you make me the superior officer of that thief?
Staring at Yuan Yuan's retreating back, Yuan Wei felt filled with hatred.
Changsun Gong was just talking in his sleep, muttering to himself: "How can it be done so easily?"
Yuan Wei gritted his teeth and growled: "It's all the fault of that old thief You Zhao..."
More than just one You Zhao?
Haven't you noticed that even Yuan Yuan looks like he doesn't want to meddle in other people's business?
The strangest thing is Your Majesty: Although Yuan Wei is young and his position is not high, he has already received the title and is truly a county king.
If you are concerned about the face of the clan, even if, as Yuan Yuan said, the court has its own laws and it is difficult to torture Li Chengzhi's servants to extract confessions, you should call them in for questioning, right?
But how understated is His Majesty? He clearly doesn’t want to investigate further, and yet Yuan Yuan’s attitude is so strange?
Since they both wanted to favor Li Chengzhi, why did they let themselves and Yuan Wei serve as Li Chengzhi’s superiors?
Thinking of this, an idea flashed in Changsun Gong's mind, and he shuddered violently. His face, which was already pale, turned pale with shock.
"Zhong...Zhong Jiong, please bear with this tone for a while and don't act rashly..."
Yuan Wei's angry voice changed: "Why?"
Why else?
I'm afraid that you and I have both been used as weapons. And it's most likely His Majesty...
Changsun Gong looked around and replied in a trembling voice: "Don't ask anymore, just wait patiently. If nothing happens, we will see the result within two or three days..."