After listening to Mang Zhong's explanation, Li Hong's eyes swept back and forth between Li Xian and Li Zhe. Both of them also frowned deeply. Apparently they didn't know what this meant.
Li Xian looked at Li Hong's strange eyes, put down his arms around his chest, and said blankly: "Don't look at me like this, I didn't do anything."
"Yeah, yeah, no matter how stupid he is, he can't kidnap Lao Ba. It won't be his." Li Zhe lowered his head and didn't know what he was thinking. Hearing Li Xian's words, he couldn't help but say.
"You..." Li Xian wanted to reprimand Li Zhe, who was always outspoken, but seeing that he didn't pay attention at all and only said it subconsciously, he had to hold back the rest of his words.
Li Hong raised his head and thought for a while, then watched Xiaoxue coming over to signal Zong Chuke and others, so he asked Li Xian and Li Zhe to follow him to the meeting hall.
On the way from Lizheng Hall to the East Palace Meeting Hall, Li Hong couldn't help but ask: "Does anyone from the Pei Yan family or Pei Yan know Lao Ba?"
Li Xian paused for a moment, then continued to walk forward. He thought for a moment and said, "Do you suspect that Pei Yan hijacked Li Dan?"
Li Hong glanced at him sideways and continued to say calmly: "Lao Ba is just ten years old now. He has not left the palace or built a mansion. It is impossible for anyone to have a conflict of interest with him. Moreover, no one has informed the father and the emperor. Mother, instead of informing the three of us, doesn’t this mean that something is fishy?”
"That's not necessarily Pei Yan, right? Pei Yan is not stupid. Doesn't he know that kidnapping the prince is a capital crime?"
"It's as if if you don't kidnap Lao Ba, it won't be a capital crime. When did you become so stupid?" Li Zhe shook his head and said.
But the person walked with his head down from beginning to end, without even looking at Li Xian. This made Li Xian want to reprimand him, but failed again.
"What Lao Qi said is right. Pei Yan is already on death row. It's not impossible for someone to save Pei Yan. So wouldn't it be a good idea if he could be exchanged for Lao Ba? What's more, Pei Yan has been killed by you. After setting it up, I exposed him in the court as being corrupt and treasonous..."
"Okay, okay, okay, don't talk about being greedy. I know very well what's going on with that thing. There is no evidence for rebellion. Just rely on the two songs you intercepted..."
"But no matter what, Pei Yan knew that he would definitely die this time. Before some people die, they often lose their minds in order to survive and make the craziest counterattack in the end! So... combined with the fact that Pei Yan was imprisoned in Dali Temple not long ago, it is completely possible Maybe his gangsters hijacked Li Dan to blackmail the three of us into making some kind of deal with them." After Li Hong finished speaking, he stepped into the meeting hall.
Li Xian and Li Zhe quickly followed up and sat down next to Li Hong on the left and right at the top of the meeting hall. Zong Chuke, Cui Zhiwen, and Jinwuwei General Liu Xiang were in Anton. He was already very familiar with Li Hong, so there was no outsider in the meeting hall.
Li Hong didn't even bother to say pleasantries. Regardless of the three people's somewhat surprised expressions as to why even King Pei and King Ying were coming over, he said directly: "Has the Chengwu Guards tightened the curfew?"
"Yes, I have noticed when I came here that there are already many people waiting on the streets in Chang'an City."
"What does it mean that there are no idlers? Does that mean that there are other people who can roam freely on the streets of Chang'an City?" Li Xian tilted his head, somewhat dissatisfied with Zong Chuke's answer.
"This... I'm guilty, I'm going to..." Zong Chuke saw that Li Hong didn't speak, but King Pei questioned him. He was a little at a loss, so he had to stand up and reply.
"Forget it, you and Cui Zhiwen immediately go door-to-door to check for suspicious persons. No matter who they are, even if the Ministry of Punishments can't let them go, they will be caught by me." Li Hong shook his head and said.
"Yes, Your Highness, I will do it now." Zong Chuke stood up and looked at Cui Zhiwen who also stood up and said.
"Your Highness... I would like to know under what name the house-to-house search is carried out. If the city's military guards impose martial law on Chang'an..." Cui Zhiwen, as the Minister of Punishment, knows very well that if a thorough investigation of Chang'an is carried out with great fanfare, what will happen in the court tomorrow morning Such waves.
What's more, if Dali Temple and Yushitai, especially Dali Temple, conduct a thorough investigation without knowing anything about it, His Highness will be under great pressure in the court tomorrow.
"It's been almost a day since Lao Ba was lost. In what name are you still thinking about a thorough investigation? Do you want Lao Ba to be killed before you are willing to conduct a thorough investigation?" Li Zhe was a little anxious, but at this time he still thought about Lao Wu. .
Cui Zhiwen was shocked at first, and then his face turned red. Obviously, he didn't know what was going on. Now that the King of England said this, it seemed that he didn't care too much about the life of King Yin for the sake of His Royal Highness.
Li Hong glared at Li Zhe dissatisfiedly, and Li Zhe shrank his neck, sat in his chair and stopped talking, but he obviously had no good impression of Cui Zhiwen.
However, after Cui Zhiwen mentioned it, Li Hong also realized that it seemed that he really couldn't conduct a large-scale search. If he did this, if he couldn't find Lao Ba tonight, and his father and mother would find out about it in the court tomorrow, he, Li Xian, and Li Hong would be afraid. Li Zhe will not have an easy time.
And more importantly, I am afraid that the maids and eunuchs in Li Dan's palace will not escape their bad luck.
Li Hong pursed his lips and thought for a moment and asked: "Does the Ministry of Punishment have a list of Dali Temple officials?"
"Back to Your Highness, yes."
"Is that related to Pei Yan?" Li Hong asked Cui Zhiwen with a sideways glance.
Cui Zhiwen lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said solemnly after a while: "Back to Your Highness, yes."
"You should focus on checking the whereabouts of these people in the past few days. Zongchu guests, restaurants, tea shops, inns, etc. will not be spared. Residential properties will be temporarily abandoned." Li Hong waved to the two of them and motioned for them to leave.
Then he said to Liu Xiang: "When you are in charge of Jinwu Guard, the city gate is also under your control. Can you open the city gate and let in a thousand people from the Futu Camp?"
"Your Highness..."
"Think about it, there are two ways. One: I'll knock you out, take your token and open the city gate to let you go. Two: You hand it over on your own initiative." Li Hong said with a smile.
At this time, Li Xian or Li Zhe were no longer talking or forcing Liu Xiang. As the general of Jinwu Guard, Liu Xiang's duty is to defend Chang'an. If His Royal Highness's troops are allowed to enter the city privately, he will bear this responsibility. Sorry.
Li Xian and Li Zhe also knew that whether Jin Wuwei Liu Xiang agreed or disagreed, it obviously didn't have much effect.
The two of them glanced worriedly at Li Hong, who had a calm face. They knew very well what this meant. Li Hong risked the accusation and danger of treason and secretly let his prince Liu Lian enter the city. If he was If the father and mother know about it, or if the Yushitai or other ministers know about it, this is a serious crime! They may even be dismissed or deposed.
Liu Xiang smiled bitterly. Neither of these ideas were what he wanted. If he wanted to, he would rather the Crown Prince didn't see him.
But Jin Wuwei was unable to provide His Royal Highness with manpower. This was no different from opening the city gates to release people, or even more serious.
After letting out a long sigh, Liu Xiang smiled bitterly again and said: "Then... please show mercy, Your Highness."
"Okay, then I'm offended." Li Hong winked at Li Xian.
Li Xian understood, stood up and walked behind Liu Xiang. He looked at the back of Liu Xiang's neck and suddenly struck it with a knife.
Then he heard the sound of flesh touching flesh. Li Xian covered himself with one hand with a painful expression on his wrist, where he had just hit the wrist with a knife: "I'll go... Is your neck made of iron? It hurts me to death!"
"You are so stupid. I sit here and let you beat me. He is fine, but you are injured." Li Zhe stood up neatly, walked quickly behind Liu Xiang, and slashed with the same knife.
"Your Highness, why don't you do it yourself... Your Majesty, the general is wrong, don't fight..." Liu Xiang was hit by several knives from Li Zhe. Li Zhe's palms were almost swollen, but Liu Xiang was still just a Feeling a little dizzy.
"What is your neck made of? Why don't you feel dizzy?" Li Zhe looked at his swollen palms, and then at Li Xian's similarly red wrists. Their faces were filled with incredible expressions.
Li Hong was speechless. The two of them hit the man's unsuspecting neck more than a dozen times. However, Liu Xiang was not knocked unconscious. Instead, Liu Xiang started to harass him: "Your Highness, how about I do it myself?" Just knock him out, it’s too painful.”
"Forget it, I'll do it." Li Hong said calmly.
"boom."
Liu Xiang felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer on the back of his head. His forehead hit the table hard, and he finally fainted.
Li Hong picked up the token in Liu Xiang's hand, looked at Li Zhe and said, "You are familiar with Futu Camp. You go to the city gate and wait. After entering the city, go straight to Prince Pu's Mansion. Li Xian and I will wait for you there."
"Okay, then I'll go." Li Zhe took the token and looked at it. Is this thing so important? Doesn’t it look normal
Li Xian looked at the calm and calm Li Hong, lowered his head and thought for a moment and said, "I'll go. You and Li Zhe wait for me at Prince Pu's Mansion."
Li Hong was stunned, looked at him doubtfully and asked firmly: "Are you sure you want to go? You don't know what this means?"
"For Lao Ba, you are willing to risk such a big crime and let your troops enter the city privately. What should I, Li Xian, be afraid of? Besides... this is for Lao Ba." Li Xian looked at the token in Li Zhe's hand. Said solemnly.
"Well, it's up to you." Li Hong nodded lightly, then took off a jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Li Xian: "Take this. If you don't take it, I'm afraid you will take it." They couldn't bring him to Prince Pu's Mansion.
Li Xian took it silently. Of course he knew why he needed one more piece of jade pendant around Li Hong's waist than Li Zhe.
But now, with the Jinwu Guard Token in one hand and Li Hong's jade pendant in the other, he suddenly felt that the rights were so real, as if he had suddenly touched the rights and held them tightly in his hands.
Watching Li Xian's back leave, Li Zhecai murmured to Li Hong, hesitated for a moment and said: "You are not afraid..."
"Let's go to Prince Pu's Mansion."
(End of chapter)