Fang Xingzhai's face changed greatly, and he said in horror: "You...you are talking nonsense, I...when did I give you poison?" He turned and knelt down to the prince, and said in fear: "Your Highness, this person is spitting blood, and I never gave it to him. Any poison, and... And the official doesn’t recognize him.”
Ye Wen sneered: "Master Fang, you are trying to burn bridges across the river. If you say you don't know me, how can you bring me into the camp?"
"Take you into the camp?" Fang Xingzhai turned around and said sternly: "When will I take you into the camp?"
Situ Mingyue said coldly: "Master Fang, His Highness's camp is heavily guarded and no one can sneak in easily. You brought people to see His Highness yesterday, and a total of twenty-six people came. Is this correct?"
Fang Xingzhai hurriedly said: "Exactly, Xianguan's entourage is stationed twenty miles away from here. Xianguan was afraid of disturbing His Highness, so except for some officials from Xuzhou, he only brought ten followers. "
Situ Mingyue said: "It is very simple to judge whether he is the person you brought. Just gather the twenty-six people you brought. If there is one person missing, it is this person."
As if he had found a life-saving straw, Fang Xingzhai hurriedly said: "That's right." He said to the prince: "Your Highness, I will use Xiang's head as a guarantee. This person has never been seen by Xianguan before. He is definitely not the person brought in by Xianguan. Gather them immediately, there will never be one missing.”
The prince said calmly: "Situ, you gathered all the people he brought."
Situ Mingyue bowed his hands and retreated. There was silence for a moment in the big tent. The prince waved to Qi Ning to sit beside him, but did not speak. Fang Xingzhai looked nervous and broke out in cold sweat. He looked at Ye Wen several times, his eyes full of resentment. However, Ye Wen always sneered and showed no fear.
Less than half an hour later, Situ Mingyue returned to the tent and reported, "Your Highness, everyone has been summoned."
Fang Xingzhai knew that life and death were at stake. Before the prince could speak, he had already asked hurriedly: "Situ Changshi, then... are all the twenty-six people here?"
Situ Mingyue glanced at Fang Xingzhai and said, "Master Fang, you brought twenty-six people, sixteen of them are officials from Xuzhou, ten followers, including you, the total is twenty-seven people, is this correct?"
"That's right!" Fang Xingzhai said immediately.
Situ Mingyue said: "There are not a lot of sixteen officials, but one person is missing among the ten followers!"
Fang Xingzhai's body was shaken and he lost his voice: "This... how is this possible? The ten followers are all close confidants of the lower official. They... they were selected by the lower official. There is no mistake...!" Suddenly something came to his mind and he said anxiously. : "Your Highness, take this person out and let those people identify him. They will never see this person."
Situ Mingyue sneered: "If Mr. Fang had made arrangements in advance, even if they recognized it, they would not admit it."
Ye Wen finally sneered and said: "Fang, you are really vicious. You ordered me to do all this. You also said that if I succeeded, I would be sure to be successful. Now that the matter has been exposed, you... you actually want to distance yourself from the relationship. "He said to the prince: "Your Highness, the villain confessed truthfully. Fang Xingzhai sent the villain to deliver poisonous tea to Jin Yihou, not to sow relations, but to kill people and silence him."
"Kill people and silence them?" The prince frowned, "Why kill people and silence them?"
Ye Wendao said: "Fang Xingzhai first sent a young man to poison the wine in order to kill His Highness, but His Highness gave him the wine and accidentally killed the young prince. His Highness did not immediately cure Jin Yihou's crime. When Fang Xingzhai saw what happened, I made a mistake, and I was panicking. I was worried that Jin Yihou was still alive, and sooner or later His Highness would find out that this matter had nothing to do with Jin Yihou. Only by killing Jin Yihou could the clues be cut off and the investigation would be impossible...!"
The prince sneered and said: "You are so stupid. If you make one mistake, you have to cover it up with the second and third stupid mistakes. If Jin Yihou is poisoned, you, as me, will not be able to pursue it? If he is killed, on the contrary, It proves that this matter has nothing to do with him, and I want to get to the bottom of it."
Ye Wendao said: "He was panicked and confused at the time. The younger one was just working for others. Since he wanted the younger one to do it, the younger one didn't dare to disobey." He glanced at Fang Xingzhai and said: "The younger one is going out now. , Those people really won’t recognize it.” Su Lun took something out of his arms, took it, and presented it to the prince. The prince looked at it twice and frowned: “Is this... a mask?”
Ye Wen said: "This is a human skin mask. It covers the face and it is difficult to tell whether it is genuine or not. Fang Xingzhai asked me to replace one of the followers so that no one would be suspicious. Then I would sneak into the camp and look for opportunities to attack. He said that if I was discovered, , no one will know me, as long as the matter does not involve him, he can find a way to save my life, but... But this person has a vicious heart, and he actually wants to kill me...!"
The prince threw the human skin mask at Fang Xingzhai's feet and said calmly: "Fang Xingzhai, how do you explain it?"
Fang Xingzhai's face turned pale and he said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness, I have been wronged. All this... This is the first time I have heard all this. I have no poison, and I have never seen this human skin mask. If there is any deception, Five thunders struck from the sky...!"
"Fang Xingzhai, even if there are ten thunders from the sky, what will happen?" Situ Mingyue said coldly: "The evidence is conclusive, and you still want to quibble?"
Fang Xingzhai felt weak all over, lying on the ground softly, and said sadly: "Your Highness, I am really wronged. I never had the intention of harming Your Highness. This... This must be someone who framed me, please be careful!"
"Frame you?" The prince picked up the wine glass and said calmly: "Then tell me who wants to frame you? If you didn't bring this person here, is he someone under me? You mean, The people around me want to poison me?"
Fang Xingzhai put his forehead against the ground and said in a trembling voice: "I don't dare... I dare not. The people around His Highness are loyal and will never... never...!"
"Since he is not the person next to me, and he is not the person you brought, did Ye Wen come out of the ground?" The prince's voice was always calm, but there was a serious look in his eyes: "What do you think? Do I trust the people around me, or do I trust those who trust you? If you continue to speak harshly, I will not only cut out your tongue, but also kill all nine of your clans!"
Fang Xingzhai was lying on the ground, his whole body shaking like chaff, but he said feebly: "Your Highness, this official is wrongly accused, this official is wrongly accused...!"
Situ Mingyue coughed and asked: "Fang Xingzhai, why did you poison His Highness? You are in Xuzhou, the governor of a party, and deeply favored by the country. Why do you want to commit rebellion?" He winked at Su Lun and said: " Come here, tie up Fang Xingzhai!"
Su Lun waved his hand, and several soldiers rushed forward like wolves and tigers, took the rope, and tied Fang Xingzhai tightly.
The prince waved his hand and signaled the guards to drag Ye Wen down first, and then said to Fang Xingzhai, who was tied tightly: "Fang Xingzhai, before you became the governor of Xuzhou, you were an official in the court and had dealings with me. You know that I The temperament of the palace. When I do things, I have clear rewards and punishments. You should know this."
Fang Xingzhai's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and his face was as pale as snow. He said softly: "Your Highness... Your Highness has clear rewards and punishments. I... I know it!"
"You plotted against me this time, how do you think I should punish you?" The prince sighed, "It's not easy for you to be as successful as you are today. We, Daqi, are a small country, and my father ordered you to guard Xuzhou. I leave half of my country in your hands, but you don't want to repay the emperor's kindness, but you are so cruel, can you tell me a reason?"
Fang Xingzhai's voice trembled as he said: "Your Highness, I am a subordinate... I am loyal to the imperial court, and I will never...!"
The prince interrupted before he could finish his words: "You said this, could it be that I have wronged you?"
Situ Mingyue said coldly: "Master Fang, Your Highness is generous and kind. If you confess truthfully, there may be a chance of survival. In addition to you, is there anyone else involved in the plot to murder His Highness?"
Fang Xingzhai said: "Your Highness, I am the official...!" Seeing the prince's eyes like daggers, staring at him coldly, he didn't know how to argue for a moment.
Situ Mingyue came closer and whispered: "Your Highness always only punishes the first culprit, and the accomplices are punished lightly. Although Ye Wen poisoned him, he was only under your instructions. Your Highness will naturally punish him lightly. There is a car in front and a car behind." Yes, if you can truthfully confess, His Highness will be lenient." He said coldly: "Are there other people involved?"
Qi Ning had just watched with cold eyes from beginning to end, but now he frowned slightly.
Fang Xingzhai looked at Situ Mingyue, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Your Highness, this official... I have no guts to murder Your Highness, but... someone instigated me to do this."
The prince's face turned cold and he said in a deep voice: "You are the governor of Xuzhou. Who can give you orders in Xuzhou?"
Fang Xingzhai hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Yes... it's King Taishan!"
The prince suddenly stood up and kicked Fang Xingzhai on the shoulder. Fang Xingzhai let out an ouch and was kicked to the ground, but he got up immediately. The prince said sternly: "Fang Xingzhai, you are so brave. You dare to slander the emperor here. This palace and The emperor is a brother, how could he harm me? If you dare to slander the emperor, I will kill you now!" Turning around, he rushed to the weapons rack, pulled out a sword, and charged towards Fang Xingzhai. come over.
However, Situ Mingyue had already stepped forward to stop him and advised: "Your Highness, Your Highness, please don't get angry. Fang Xingzhai's slander of King Taishan is unpardonable, but... Your Highness can listen to what he has to say and see what he has to say."
The prince pointed his sword at Fang Xingzhai and said sternly: "Say it!"
Fang Xingzhai's forehead was dripping with cold sweat like rain. He lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, King Taishan... After King Taishan was sent to Xuzhou by the emperor, he... has always been dissatisfied. He... He felt that His Highness had robbed him of his position as crown prince. , so I hate His Highness so much, all the time... I am always looking for opportunities to take revenge... to take revenge on His Highness...!" He raised his head and glanced at the prince, and saw that the prince was staring at him. He did not dare to look at the prince, and lowered his head and said: "Your Highness, before this time Coming to Xuzhou for hunting, King Taishan felt that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so... so he carefully planned to... let his subordinates send people to look for opportunities to poison His Highness...!"