Chapter 470 Disposal
Soon, another box was dug out under the floor tiles of Li Cheng's bedroom, and it was buried very secretly. There were some personal items inside, as well as several letters. The letters were unheaded and unsigned. But this obviously did not trouble the detective masters of "Hundred Cavalry". After several people confirmed each other and discussed it, they came to a conclusion.
The paper used for the calligraphy and calligraphy is of excellent quality. It is tough and moisturizing, smooth but not slippery, white and dense, and has a pure texture. It is the best Xuanzhou paper. The annual output is extremely limited, and ordinary wealthy people cannot afford it even if they spend a lot of money. have to.
Xuan paper "began in the Tang Dynasty and was produced in Jing County." Because Jing County was under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou in the Tang Dynasty, it was named Xuan paper after the place. Some people have used rice paper for calligraphy and painting very early, but the name of rice paper began to flourish in the mid-Tang Dynasty, and then became famous all over the world. Therefore, rice paper during this period was not very popular, but those familiar with the situation knew that Prince Li Chengqian liked this kind of paper the most...
Just like this, naturally the object of suspicion cannot be pointed at the prince.
But then, in the content of one of the letters, a title was found - Chuchen...
The letter said that after Li Cheng accomplished his mission, he could go find this person called "Chu Chen" and he would naturally meet his cousin and his family, and then someone would arrange for his family to escape overseas.
The efficiency of "Hundred Cavalry" is amazing. Just a few hours after His Majesty Li Er returned to Taiji Palace with a gloomy look, the identity of this "Chuchen" was found out. He was a member of Xuandu Temple in Chongye Square. Taoist priest, it is rumored that this person has profound Taoist skills, can use talismans to get rid of evil spirits, and has a good reputation.
But this Taoist priest and another fellow disciple, Wei Lingfu, were guests of the prince.
At the same time, "Bai Qi" also discovered an unexpected thing. There was a musical boy in Taichang Temple named Ruan Xin. He was beautiful and good at singing and dancing. The prince especially favored him and regarded him as a treasure...
After tracing it to this point, no one dares to continue the investigation. Who dares to make mistakes when it involves the secrets of the royal family? If something even more dirty is accidentally uncovered, not only will the royal family's face be ruined, but those investigating the case will also have a bad end. There is no guarantee that the furious His Majesty Li Er will not kill them all to vent his anger.
Although there is no evidence that clearly shows that Li Cheng was held hostage by the prince and framed Wei Wang Li Tai, it is enough.
Next, it depends on His Majesty the Emperor’s wishes.
If you continue to trust the prince, then the matter will naturally end here and all the evidence will be destroyed.
If he is extremely disappointed with the prince, then the emperor will definitely let the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple take over, give an upright trial, and then depose the prince. After all, "Hundred Cavalry" is just the emperor's personal minions, so naturally they cannot pursue the prince's case openly. Otherwise, if this case is opened, "Hundred Cavalry" will definitely become an existence beyond the Tang Dynasty system, which is not a good thing.
His Majesty Li Er looked at the investigation books in front of him, his brows furrowed and filled with depression.
If it were Li Cheng alone, no matter what evidence he found, His Majesty Li Er would not believe the authenticity of this matter. He might even suspect that King Li Tai of Wei directed a painful show to frame the prince... …
However, as more and more people were dug out, His Majesty Li Er had to believe it.
The Taoist priest from Xuanduguan was born in the world, and his lay name was Qin Ying. Together with his junior brother Wei Lingfu, he was enshrined by the prince, and they often met at the East Palace to perform rituals and open an altar for the prince. As for what altar to open and what method to perform? His Majesty Li Er is unwilling to take care of it, and he does not dare to take care of it...
The most important thing is actually another person who appears on this list, the Letong from Taichang Temple.
Taichang Temple, Zhangling Temple, the highest administrative organ in charge of rituals and music. The status of the music boy of Taichang Temple is equivalent to that of an actor...
"Hundred Horsemen" discovered that this person often went out of the East Palace, and every time he was picked up and dropped off by the prince's carriage, the relationship between him and the prince was naturally self-evident.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, wealthy people's preference for masculine styles was not a shameful thing. Instead, they were complacent about it. It gradually became a trend, attracting countless scholars and literati to imitate it, which was spectacular. His Majesty Li Er is not a Taoist scholar. For such customs, it is just a personal preference and has nothing to do with the stability of the country. Naturally, he is too lazy to take care of it.
But as the prince of the country, the prince did not favor the concubines who were as beautiful as flowers in the East Palace, and did not contribute to the empire. This made him angry. The key was that the status of the prince was different, and the people were muddle-headed about such things, but If the prince does this, it may affect the general atmosphere of the country.
His Majesty Li Er cannot bear it.
But it was already difficult for him to make a decision on how to deal with the prince...
His Majesty Li Er has a strong character. At that time, he realized that as his military exploits became more and more prominent, the ministers in the court became more and more inclined to him, and the hidden prince Li Jiancheng became more and more suspicious of him. Of course, he also found that His ambition has grown bigger and bigger, and it is gradually unstoppable... Once Li Jiancheng ascends the throne, , what he was about to face was probably a glass of poisonous wine or three feet of white silk, so he immediately launched violent measures. Even if he had the reputation of killing brothers and brothers, he brazenly launched the Xuanwu Sect, and then forced his father to change his position. As the crown prince, he soon hijacked his father again, abdicated in favor of a worthy man, and ascended the throne himself.
Decisiveness in killing is his most proud characteristic, but now, this decision is really difficult to make.
Depose the prince?
This is actually very simple. Even if Li Tai is appointed as the crown prince, it will be a piece of cake. This confidence comes from his control of the court situation. He firmly believes that as long as his own attitude is firmed up, even the ministers who are most opposed to Yi Chu will have to accept the new crown prince honestly.
However, the bad consequences of doing so have to make His Majesty Li Er hesitate...
His own throne came through a coup. If the next emperor still ascends the throne by someone other than his direct eldest son, then it is likely that this tradition will be deeply ingrained among his descendants. The throne can be sought or even fought for. Who would honestly hold the elder Huang Li who ascended the throne and watch others become emperor?
It is impossible to say that every subsequent change of imperial power in the Tang Dynasty will be accompanied by intrigues and bloodshed, and this will greatly shake the country's foundation, which is definitely not what His Majesty Li Er wants.
Could it be that the prince was allowed to frame his brother like this?
Of course it's impossible!
If I don't depose you, you are already lucky. Why do you still want to pretend that nothing has happened?
Therefore, His Majesty Li Er summoned Fang Xuanling into the palace and informed him of the cause and consequences of the matter as well as his decision. Although he did not have the same unreserved trust in Fang Xuanling as Changsun Wuji, he had never concealed any royal secrets.
Fang Xuanling's temperament determines that he will be a pure minister and absolutely worthy of trust.
The only difference is the identity of Changsun Wuji, the uncle of the country...
*****
In the East Palace, Prince Li Chengqian heard Fang Xuanling recount what happened in Prince Wei's Mansion. His mouth opened wide and his expression was dull, as if he had been struck by an unreasonable thunder from the sky. He did not recover for a long time. After a long while, Li Chengqian suddenly jumped three feet high and cursed loudly: "This is ridiculous! Where has I ever done such a thing? I have been living in seclusion for the past few days, asking teachers to teach me about my studies, and I have never arranged for anyone to kidnap anyone. The relatives and family members of the servants of the Wei Palace are really framed. It must be Qing Que who wants to catch the thief and staged a painful trick to show his father. I want to go to my father and ask my father to clear my name!"
If you really sit at home behind closed doors, disaster will come from heaven!
Fang Xuanling really didn't believe him when he renounced himself like this: "Is His Highness really being wronged? So, is Xinxin in the East Palace now?"
Li Chengqian's expression changed instantly and he remained silent...
Kong Yingda raised his eyelids, glanced at Li Chengqian who was blushing, and sighed slightly. Zhang Xuansu said angrily: "You are the prince, how can you learn the dirty behavior in the market? You have been enlightened since childhood, have you forgotten all the sages' books you have spent in these years? This is ridiculous!"
His blunt rebuke made Li Chengqian even more embarrassed.
Fang Xuanling sighed and advised in a low voice: "His Royal Highness has a different status than others. He is the crown prince of the country. Every word and deed is watched and scrutinized by countless people. If there is a slight mistake, it will cause unexpected trouble. Your Majesty has ordered the veteran minister I have brought the princes and lords from the palace to arrest Cheng Xin. Please order someone to bring him out..." (End of Chapter)