In the afternoon, the wind and snow of the past few days completely stopped, and even the long-lost sun peeked out from behind the clouds. This made Sun Tu, who was waiting outside the palace again, feel much more comfortable than the wait at dusk yesterday, but Xi Fengchang was obviously not used to such waiting, and his body would twist slightly from time to time.
This was both because of the excitement and nervousness about meeting the emperor, and also because of the cold climate today. For future generations, the outdoor temperature in Xingqing Mansion should be measured to be more than ten degrees below zero. No matter how thick the cold-proof clothes are, standing like this for a while will make people feel stiff and their hands and feet will be cold. Especially for someone like Xi Fengchang, who is used to being pampered, he has never experienced such hardship.
"Qianli, do you think it can work this time?" The uneasiness in his heart made Xi Fengchang just want to talk to someone to relieve his nervousness. Sun Tu just smiled faintly when he heard this: "Since Mo Chihe dares to enter the palace at this time, he must be somewhat sure. Of course, I think it is unrealistic to completely overthrow the prince. The royal family also needs to be decent."
After a pause, he reminded again: "But Young Master, no matter whether things succeed or not, it will be beneficial and harmless to us. I think that once Mo Xihe's goal is achieved, you can just take the opportunity to ask him that the clan leader wants you." What he did after coming to Beijing made Xia State strictly neutral in the dispute between Song and Liao."
"Yes, I almost forgot about this important matter. Thanks to you for reminding me." Xifeng Changshen nodded in agreement. This time, accidents happened one after another, and he really forgot about the business that Xi Fengye Chang had asked him before. Now that they are on the same front as Moshahe, they can naturally seek his support and help.
While the two were talking, another sound of horse hooves rumbled from behind. Sun Tu didn't even need to look back this time to guess that the prince had come after hearing the news. Sure enough, a moment later, the prince strode over with a livid face. When he passed by their group, his eyes were even more murderous. It made people believe that if he were not outside the palace gate now, he would immediately order them to be killed. .
This look made Xi Fengchang startled, and his body trembled slightly, but he finally calmed down. Sun Tu, on the other hand, was not affected in any way. Instead, he felt happy. The more resentful the prince was, the more opportunities he had to take advantage of it. This was exactly the result he hoped to see. However, the prince came too late today. Mo Chihe had already entered the palace for almost half an hour. I am afraid that all the accusations that should be filed have been made. If I see the emperor again at this time, I am afraid that he will be facing the gun.
Just as he thought of this, Sun Tu saw a hurried palace servant walking out of the otherwise deserted palace. After bowing to the prince who had already entered, he walked out of the palace gate and came to Sun Tu and the others: "The emperor has an edict, Xuan Xifengchang and Sun Tu go to the palace to report."
After Sun Tu heard this, he hurriedly pulled Xifengchang, who was still a little stunned, and they both stepped forward and whispered: "I accept the order!" Then they followed this person and walked into this slightly shabby-looking palace.
As he walked, Sun Tu felt a little emotional in his heart. The Xia Kingdom was indeed a bit casual in its rules. If it were placed in the Song Dynasty, it would be difficult for ordinary courtiers to see the emperor, let alone small figures like him and Xi Fengchang. But it's better here. Because of this case, after Mo Chihe complained, the emperor
He actually had to meet them in person, which was really a bit casual.
The former palace of the Xia Kingdom was indeed not very big, covering an area of just over 200 acres. After a journey, they arrived at a side hall, where Li Qianshun summoned important ministers to discuss matters of all sizes. Here, just before, the prince had already entered, and now it was the turn of the two of them.
However, there was no need for Sun Tu and Xifeng to open this door at this time. The chamberlain who led them in went to the palace door and whispered a report. After a while, they were allowed to enter. Until then, the chamberlain ordered in a low voice with a straight face: "You must not be rude when you enter. The emperor cannot speak without asking you, otherwise no one can protect you." After saying this, he motioned to the two of them. Push the door to enter.
Pushing open the slightly bulky palace door, the two of them felt a wave of heat. Apparently there were many charcoal pots in the palace to keep the interior warm. The two of them entered quickly without any hesitation, and the door of the palace was quickly closed by the servant guarding the door, blocking out the cold outside.
Entering the palace, Sun Tu did not look up in a hurry to check the situation, but followed Xi Fengchang to kneel down and kowtow to meet the emperor. After they had finished the ceremony, a deep and majestic voice sounded from above: "Moqihe, is this the witness you said?"
Mozhihe, who was sitting calmly on the side, bowed slightly, and then said: "Returning to the emperor, it is them. This Sun Tu was almost killed twice last night and day, but he saved his life both times. What's more, this Witnesses and people who experienced the next thing!"
"Get up and answer the question." There was no hint of joy or anger in the emperor's voice. Sun Tu stood up in response, then raised his head and quickly glanced at the ZTE King of Xixia, a terrifying opponent who made both the Song and Liao kings feel a bit threatened.
I saw that Li Qianshun was tall and straight, and even just sitting there gave people a strong sense of oppression. But to Sun Tu, who was supposed to be in his fifties, he looked quite young, with thick black hair and beard, and not many wrinkles on his face. He looked like a man in his forties.
The most memorable thing was his pair of twinkling eyes. Just one look at them made Sun Tu's heart skip a beat, as if the other person could understand his thoughts at a glance. After taking a deep breath, Sun Tu calmed down, and then took two steps back to the side with Xifengchang, who was a little worried, but he did not dare to confront the emperor head-on.
"Sun Qianli, first tell me everything about yesterday in front of me." After looking at the appearance of the two of them, Li Qianshun finally spoke.
Sun Tu raised his head and glanced at Mo Chihe and the prince, whose face was still green, and then said yes, and then said the words he had prepared early in the morning. He started from the time he came to the capital with Xi Feng Chang, mentioned his friendship with Yuesang Wali, and then talked about the disputes when he first entered the city, and his behavior of killing horses... This went on until he met yesterday. He was attacked until he was rescued by Mo Chihe and his men. Although some details have been modified by him, the overall development is not at all different from the truth.
In fact, Feng Chang felt that it was better not to talk about the matter of killing the horse. After all, it was an offense to the emperor. However, Sun Tu insisted that the matter had already become known to the whole city, and the emperor could not still be kept in the dark.
He was in the dark, so in order to win the emperor's trust, it was better to speak directly.
After what he said, the prince's face turned pale, but Li Qianshun still could not see the unpredictable depth of his emotions. After a long while, he said quietly: "You mean those people mentioned that they were here under the orders of the prince when they attacked you outside Chengtian Temple?" Hearing his question, the prince's body gently moved again. I trembled for a moment and didn't dare to raise my head.
After Sun Tu pondered for a while, he replied: "The battle with them was in full swing at that time, so I can't guarantee whether I really heard it clearly. But I did hear them shout these two words, saying that they wanted to give the prince a fine seal. It’s a big lesson.”
"Emperor, I asked those assassins later, and they all admitted that they were ordered by Xi Fengyao, but Xi Fengyao also mentioned that the matter was related to the prince, so they dared to do it in the capital. Something like this is coming!" Mo Xiahe took the opportunity to say. Then he said coldly: "Actually, during the day, the minister was still suspicious, but at night, even the people in the minister's house were killed, and the murderer's target was obviously Sun Qianli, who was serving as a witness. Apart from Prince Chen, I really can’t think of anyone else who has such a need!”
"You...you are spitting blood!" Hearing him so confidently accuse himself of being the mastermind behind the two incidents, the prince was really panicked, and immediately defended himself loudly: "Father, my son is absolutely I have never done such a thing, and it is impossible to do such a thing!"
Li Qianshun put his hand to stop the argument between the two people, then his face darkened, and he looked at Sun Tu again: "Sun Qianli, do you know your guilt?" Although his voice was not loud, his murderous aura was. It was extremely strong, and Xi Fengchang almost couldn't resist it, and his legs became weak.
After Sun Tu saw his reaction, he also knelt down: "I know that I am guilty, and I should not doubt the prince on this matter. But I still want to say something, I will enter Xingzhou In just one day, I have never offended anyone except the prince. I really can't think of anyone else who would kill me... In addition, Bai Ri might also be Xifeng Yao who acted in the name of the prince. But that scene at night could never have been his fault!"
Sun Tu's words were obviously a confession, but in fact they didn't mean to admit his mistakes at all. On the contrary, his words became more straightforward and sharp. This made Mozhihe look at him with more appreciation, thinking that this young man was indeed a talent, and maybe he could use it for his own purposes.
The prince was filled with hatred. If the emperor hadn't just spoken, he would have stood up and scolded him again. In comparison, Xi Fengchang had been trembling since he entered the palace, but he did not dare to say a word, completely suppressed by the emperor's momentum.
Li Qianshun snorted softly: "I'm not talking about you testifying that the prince is related to this case. Since you are a witness, of course you have to tell the truth. I said your crime is the incident at the South Gate the day before yesterday! Since you already knew that the prince wanted to ask for horses from you, why did you dare to kill the horses? Such a kingless person should be punished for his crime!"
As soon as these words came out of the palace, which was originally quite warm, a chill went down. Even Sun Tu's body was slightly shaken. Unexpectedly, Li Qianshun didn't play according to the routine!