In the signing room of the Pacification Office, Xu Shun sat upright, without even a frown moving from beginning to end. Only when the door creaked did he slowly open his eyes, glanced at Xiao Heng lightly, and closed his eyes again.
Xiao Heng ignored his rudeness. After all, the Great Zhou inherited the Zhou Li, and there has always been a saying that doctors should not be punished. There is also the so-called Eight Discussions, and Xu Shun has two of them, the so-called discussion of the past and the discussion of the nobles. It is normal for him to be arrogant. He walked around Xu Shun and sat behind the table in front, threw the stack of testimonies on the table, raised his eyebrows casually and said: "Xu Ci Fu, we locked you up for a day and a night, and you are not angry at all?"
Logically, people of Xu Shun's level have many privileges. Even now, he is imprisoned in the imperial prison. Not to mention other places, there are many people in the Pacification Office who come to persuade Xiao Heng to be more tactful and restrained.
It's just that Xiao Heng had been in the Jinyiwei for many years and was known for his ruthless tactics, which is why he could detain Xu Shun here for so long.
In fact, even Xiao Heng was not qualified to torture a person like Xu Shun, which was why Xu Shun was so calm.
His eyes fell on the document in Xiao Heng's hand, and he said in a light tone: "I have nothing to say. If Your Highness wants to ask me something..."
"Xu Chong is dead." Xiao Heng raised his eyebrows and threw out the news before he could finish. Seeing that Xu Shun finally reacted, with veins popping out of his forehead, he emphasized his tone: "Don't get me wrong, Deputy Prime Minister. Among the eight deliberations, Xu Chong also had a noble one. No one tortured him. After hearing Xuan Yuan's confession, he found a way to smash the bowl and cut his wrists to commit suicide without waiting for the interrogation."
Xu Shun, who had been standing still, finally reacted. When he heard that Xu Chong was dead, he stood up all of a sudden: "Absolutely impossible!"
No one knows a son better than his father. How could he not know his son's temper? Xu Chong only looks fierce, but in the final analysis, he is more afraid of death and pain than anyone else. This child has never suffered much since he was a child. He has to stand three feet away when a chicken is slaughtered in the ancestral hall, let alone committing suicide
How could he bear this pain
Xiao Heng laughed softly.
It turns out that Xu Ci Fu, who is high above and holds the power over the lives and deaths of countless people, also has such a side to him. It turns out that Xu Shun would also lose his normal nature after losing his family.
Xu Shun was so tense by the laughter that his whole body tensed up. He gradually reacted and looked at Xiao Heng in front of him with his fists clenched, his eyes filled with anger.
Xiao Heng also looked at him without any hesitation.
After all, he was the powerful second chancellor. Xu Shun's gaze was like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, making people feel numb all over and the pressure increased sharply. However, Xiao Heng could look at him for a long time without changing his expression and without even frowning.
"I really misjudged you." Xu Shun spoke in a hoarse voice. After all, he was a man who had experienced a lot. In the past, countless lives and even the fate of cities were changed whenever he moved his pen or opened his mouth. At his age and position, he has seen too many things like separation of life and death.
So even though he heard that his eldest son was dead, his pain and shock were only temporary, and he soon regained his composure. He looked at Xiao Heng coldly and said, "I originally thought that His Royal Highness the Grandson of the Emperor had inherited the kindness of the late Crown Prince, but I didn't expect that he was born a cruel official. Although His Royal Highness has recognized his ancestry and has been able to take the throne, the cruel and tyrannical nature he carries with him cannot be changed."
Xiao Heng was not surprised that Xu Shun reacted so quickly.
Xu Shun's mind was much clearer and smarter than Xu Chong and Qi Yunxi. Xu Chong just couldn't understand. He really thought that he would use torture. In fact, he himself was in an awkward position and was caught in a dilemma. Did Emperor Yuanfeng really trust him when he handed the case over to him for trial
Not necessarily
As soon as Qi Yunxi and the Xu family got into trouble, based on the previous disputes between the two, Emperor Yuanfeng threw the case to him. Perhaps on the one hand, he really wanted to use him, but at the same time, he also wanted to test him. Emperor Yuanfeng wanted to know how much involvement he and the Song family had in the trouble between the Xu family and Qi Yunxi.
If he uses too much force, the good situation will be completely destroyed.
Xu Chong and Qi Yunxi couldn't see through this.
However, Xu Shun, an old fox in the officialdom, saw through it all. Xu Chong and Qi Yunxi were arrested suddenly, and after they were put in prison, Xiao Heng kept a strict watch on them. He did not allow them to contact anyone he did not trust. Otherwise, Xu Chong and Qi Yunxi would still be unable to speak.
But now, Xu Shun, who had seen through everything, even raised his lips to Xiao Heng with a little provocation: "Your Highness, the Emperor's eldest grandson, you are still too young after all."
Xu Shun's status was even higher than Xu Chong's. What was even more terrible was that he was a close confidant of Emperor Yuanfeng. He was the one who had truly accompanied Emperor Yuanfeng in clearing out the remnants of the previous dynasty and getting to where he was today. The relationship between the emperor and his subjects was not only between the emperor and his subjects, but also between them and good friends. When dealing with him, there could be no mistakes at all, and the degree of propriety must be very well grasped.
If you even touch him with a finger, when you appear before Emperor Yuanfeng, he will immediately say that he was tortured.
His disciples and followers are spread all over the world, and he himself has a very high prestige. Naturally, he has the capital to look down on the emperor's eldest grandson who is now not legitimate.
Xiao Heng tapped his finger on the table. "Lord Ci Fu seems to know me very well. But if I remember correctly, although I was young and frivolous and did some inappropriate things, I did not provoke Ci Fu. Why does Ci Fu dislike me so much? Ci Fu is a person in the emperor's heart. Can he use the three words "not knowing" to get away with letting his son marry the remnant of the evil queen Li?"
Xu Shun sneered, "Your Highness, I cannot agree with what you said, but why should I not know about it? My son married Qi after Qi Yunxi was granted marriage to General Zhaoyong. Even His Majesty and the Empress raised her like a daughter. Who could have thought that she had any relationship with the remnants of the previous dynasty?"
"Really?" Xiao Heng crossed his arms as if chatting, "Then how do you explain Xu Chong's covering up for her, even going so far as to give false testimony, and sending people to intimidate a magistrate?"
Xu Shun closed his eyes, as if he was heartbroken. "This is also because I didn't discipline him strictly. People are not plants or trees, who can be heartless? Qi... Li gave birth to his children, and she never revealed her background. After all, she has been filial and sensible for so many years. Since my son has been married to her for many years, he naturally believes her. Later, even if he knew the truth, he still cared about the relationship between husband and wife and could no longer kill his own relative for the sake of justice."