Chapter 179 Boating on the Lake
"My son, I pay homage to my father." Zhao Xing saluted.
The official waved his hand and said: "Are you here to ask about King Yong's assassination of you?"
"My father is wise." Zhao Xing said with a smile: "My son and I are here. Just for this matter."
The official asked Zhao Xing to sit down and said, "Eunuch Liu, please talk to the prince about the situation."
"Yes!"
Eunuch Liu responded, saluted Zhao Xing and said: "Your Highness, according to the investigation, these assassins were lurking in Zhuangzi of Prince Yong's Mansion. After the evidence was conclusive, His Majesty ordered them to be arrested. According to King Yong, these assassins were hired by a man named Ma Lianpeng at a high price. They had been lurking in various villages a few months ago. The last time His Highness left the city, Ma Lianpeng told King Yong that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. King Yong then ordered the assassination."
"Where is that Ma Lianpeng?" Zhao Xing asked.
He knew that this Ma Lianpeng should be the one who escaped as Yin Hanzhang said.
"Ma Lianpeng escaped two days ago." Eunuch Liu said.
"Father, I think there is something wrong with this matter. The assassins' tongues were cut that day. Judging from the wounds, they were cut off since childhood. These people should be dead soldiers who have been trained for a long time." Zhao Xing said.
"You are right. This is why I was not in a hurry to take action at the beginning. However, after a long investigation, I could not find out the origins of those dead soldiers, so I ordered the arrest. The people I sent However, this Ma Lianpeng was not found, so he was allowed to escape," the official said with a gloomy expression.
Zhao Xing is his only son. Assassinating Zhao Xing will cut off his bloodline. How can he not be angry.
Zhao Xing originally wanted to tell the news about Yin Hanzhang's investigation, but felt that it was difficult to hide it. After thinking about it, he didn't say it. He changed the subject and said, "I wonder what my father is going to do with King Yong?"
The official was silent for a while and said: "King Yong dares to plot against you, no matter whether there is someone behind it or not, he will die. As for the others, just go into exile."
Officials are naturally kind-hearted, and King Yong is his younger brother's son.
In the end, he didn't make up his mind to wipe out King Yong's lineage.
Zhao Xing was a little dissatisfied with the result. He hesitated and finally said nothing.
"Father, I want to see King Yong." Zhao Xing said.
"If you want to see him, just go." The official did not stop him after hearing this, and wrote a handwriting to Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing took his father's handwriting, resigned and left.
…………
The Ministry of Justice is not far from the imperial city, and with the emperor’s decree, naturally no one can stop it.
"Uncle Wang, after we said goodbye the night before yesterday, Uncle Wang has become like this in just a short time." Zhao Xing looked at the brought King Yong and smiled.
At this time, King Yong only had one inner coat, his hair was disheveled, and there were a few grass clippings hanging in his hair.
"His Highness is very elegant, and he came to see me, a dying man."
King Yong came to sit opposite Zhao Xing, brushing his hair that partially blocked his sight, and minding his own business. Pick up the teapot on the table and pour tea.
"Presumptuous!" Gu Tingye shouted.
Zhao Xing waved his hand to stop Gu Tingye and said with a smile: "I thought Uncle Wang would beg Gu for mercy."
King Yong took a sip from the tea cup and said in a calm tone: "Is begging for mercy useful? Even if you are willing to let me go, the officials will not agree."
"Uncle Wang is quite smart." Zhao Xing praised.
He is right about this. Even if his father is willing to spare King Yong's life, it is impossible for the civil and military officials to agree.
"There is nothing to say about the success of the king and the defeat of the bandits." King Yong laughed at himself.
Of course he is afraid of death, but after he was arrested yesterday, he already figured it out in prison.
What you have done is worthless, and begging for mercy is of no use. In this case, why not retain some dignity.
"I like to talk to smart people." Zhao Xing said with a smile: "I want to know the news about Ma Lianpeng, Uncle Wang won't tell me, right?"
"I can't wait to eat his flesh and sleep with his skin. "Don't tell me?"
King Yong said with hatred in his eyes: "Ma Lianpeng is a teacher who was recruited into the palace ten years ago. He is very talented, and I gradually regarded him as a confidant." You have hinted to me many times that as long as you kill His Highness, I can become the crown prince. When several princes of the official family died young, there were calls in the court for the official family to adopt the clan. At that time, my voice was the loudest, because of your appearance. I completely lost hope.
So after his constant persuasion, I was moved.
Ma Lianpeng told me that in his early years, he studied abroad and met many people in the green forest. He is willing to do anything as long as he has enough money, so I gave him a sum of money and asked him to contact me.
After I was arrested, I realized that those people were all dead soldiers! "
At the end, King Yong gritted his teeth.
No matter how stupid he was, he knew that he had been plotted when he heard the news.
"Since Uncle Wang knows, he has any idea Who plotted against you? "Zhao Xing asked.
"King Yan! King Yong said without thinking: "It must be him!" When hundreds of officials in the imperial court asked for adoptive heirs from official families, the one who made the loudest request, besides me, was King Yan. If the assassination is successful, as long as he produces evidence, I will definitely die, and the throne will naturally be his. ”
"Where's the evidence?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Haha!"
King Yong seemed to have heard a big joke and said: "Your Highness, do you think this is a government case? Do you still need evidence? If Your Highness doesn't take action, Yan The king will definitely take action against His Majesty. He started planning ten years in advance to deceive me, so he will definitely be more careful when the time comes."
Zhao Xing frowned slightly. In fact, he also suspected that it was King Yan.
Everything you do will have a purpose.
He was only that old ten years ago, so it was impossible for him to have any enemies.
His father has always been kind. Except for Feng Deguang who was killed earlier, he has never killed a single civil official.
It is even less likely that anyone would want to kill him to take revenge on his father.
The only possibility is for the throne. Although it is possible that the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms wanted to use this method to cause internal chaos in the Song Dynasty.
But thinking carefully about the situation of the two countries in the past ten years, this possibility is unlikely.
However, there is no evidence at all now. Ma Lianpeng has fled to Xixia.
What King Yong just said seems to make sense, but in fact it makes no sense.
He just thought that it was King Yan who plotted against him, and he said this just to take revenge on King Yan.
Zhao Xing asked some more about Ma Lianpeng. King Yong did not hide anything and told everything he knew.
However, Zhao Xing did not find anything useful.
Knowing that he couldn't get anything out of the question, Zhao Xing said, "Let someone take him down."
"Yes!" Sanshui responded and went out to call for someone.
"Your Highness, could you tell me what the officials are going to do with my family?" King Yong asked.
“Thinking of murdering the crown prince, everyone in the family will be executed!” Zhao Xing said lightly.
King Yong staggered and almost lost his balance, his face turned pale.
When Sanshui called in the imperial guards who had escorted him, he was escorted out by the imperial guards reluctantly.
"Have you ever regretted it?" Zhao Xing asked.
King Yong stopped and said in a hoarse voice: "If I succeed, they will be the princes and princesses. If I fail, they should accompany me to death."
After saying that, he stepped up. Go forward.
"Let's go!" Zhao Xing stood up and said.
He did not tell King Yong that his father only planned to kill him.
King Yong sent someone to assassinate him. It would be too easy for him to kill him directly.
…………
Back in the East Palace, Zhao Xing learned from Liu Sanshi that Ru Lan and Ming Lan had arrived and were boating in the Garden Lake with Yu Yanran and the others.
After Zhao Xing heard this, he went directly to the garden.
When he arrived near the lake, Zhao Xing heard a burst of silver bell laughter.
In the lake, a cruise ship floats in the middle of the lake. The windows on both sides of the cruise ship are all open, and the gauze curtains are put down, swaying gently in the breeze.
Seven or eight figures can be vaguely seen, and laughter comes from the boat.
Zhao Xing came to the pavilion and sat down, enjoying the warm sunshine and listening to the laughter coming from the direction of the cruise ship from time to time. His heart, which was a little irritable because of King Yong's incident, slowly calmed down.
Perhaps Yu Yanran and the others who were talking in the cabin discovered Zhao Xing, and the boat came closer to the pavilion.
"Your Highness!"
When they were still more than ten meters away from the pavilion, the gauze curtain on the side of the boat was opened by the palace maid, and Yu Yanran and San Lan greeted Zhao Xingfu.
"I didn't bother you, did I?" Zhao Xing said with a smile.
Yu Yanran shook her head and said with a smile: "Your Highness, would you like to get on the boat and have a seat?"
"Okay." Zhao Xing nodded and said, "It just so happens that I haven't been boating on the lake for a long time."
Hearing this, Yu Yanran quickly ordered the eunuch at the helm to move the boat closer to the pavilion.
The lake in Donggong Garden has a dedicated dock, but the height of the pavilion can also be used as a dock.
When the boat stopped by the pavilion, Zhao Xing stepped on the stool, stepped over the fence, and took Sanshui onto the boat.
“I have met His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Zhao Xing walked into the cabin, and Yu Yanran, San, and the accompanying maids all bowed and saluted.
"No courtesy." Zhao Xing waved his hand, sat down in front of the low table in the middle of the cabin, and said, "Sit down and talk."
Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan sat on the left and right. Beside Zhao Xing, Rulan and Minglan sat opposite.
There are fruit snacks and tea making equipment on the table.
After Yu Yanran sat down, she began to work, making tea for Zhao Xing.
"I just heard you laughing so happily. What's the interesting thing?" Zhao Xing said with a smile.
“Just now, sister Rulan said that this garden has a beautiful scenery. I teased her that she should enter the East Palace at this time next year. Then she can enjoy it every day. Sister Rulan is shy, I’m sorry. ." Yu Yanran smiled.
Hearing this, Zhao Xing looked at Ru Lan and Ming Lan. It had been almost five months since they last met.
It is said that women change at the age of eighteen, but it does not mean that a woman only changes a lot when she is eighteen years old.
It means that many changes will happen to women as they grow up.
Although it has only been five months, a lot has changed.
Ru Lan wears a pale pink double-breasted dress with plum blossoms embroidered on it. Her hair is high and fixed with a gold hairpin with pearls on it. There are also several pearl flowers on both sides of the hair.
Minglan was wearing a light blue dress. The dress was only embroidered with a few orchids, and there were not many jewelry on her body, making her look a bit simple.
(End of this chapter)