After a chaotic battle, the Imperial Guards, Eunuch Lian and Su Huailing worked together to finally clean up the battlefield. Unfortunately, they found that the assassin who struggled to get up was actually the last survivor. And this last one was also killed by the Queen.
The Queen looked at Emperor Jingren with a hint of apology.
Emperor Jingren, who had already changed his horse, sat on the horse and whispered, "The situation was critical at the time, so of course safety was paramount. The Queen has done her best. As for the identities of the assassins, even if there were no survivors, how could a group of living people sneak into the hunting ground silently without leaving any clues? Moreover, these people are obviously dead men. Even if we interrogate them, we may not be able to find out anything. It is better to follow the trail and investigate it ourselves. If they bite people randomly, I will be suspicious even if I don't believe it, so it is better not to ask. The dead will not lie."
"Your Majesty is wise." The Queen smiled at Emperor Jingren.
Emperors are suspicious and too lonely in high positions. Even famous emperors throughout history cannot get rid of their suspicious character and have killed loyal people by mistake. Emperor Jingren knew this weakness of his and did not deny it, but he would restrain himself. He would think about the problem calmly and try to restrain his suspicion. For example, in this assassination, although the situation was dangerous, he was able to forbear and analyze the situation calmly, not letting himself be controlled by fear and anger, and think about the problem rationally.
This is a person who values the overall situation more than his own desires. Such a person is admirable, but it also makes those who care about him feel distressed.
How difficult it would be for a person to use reason to control all emotions. Facing the unknown enemy behind him, facing someone who sneaked into his side silently, would the little emperor be afraid? He should be, this is human nature.
The queen reached out and took hold of Emperor Jingren's horse reins, saying softly, "Your Majesty, I will be by your side."
"Of course." Emperor Jingren looked directly at the Queen, his eyes clear.
After this happened, the autumn hunt could not go on. Emperor Jingren returned to the palace and first sealed off the hunting grounds. He checked everyone one by one, not letting anyone who might have brought in a large number of people go. He recorded the number of people from the royal family and officials when they came and the number of people now. At the same time, he arrested all the people in the hunting grounds who might have had the opportunity to let people in and interrogated them, and he must find out how these 78 people got into the hunting grounds.
Emperor Jingren did not return to the palace immediately, but ordered a large number of imperial guards to rush to the hunting ground and return to the palace after the matter there was clarified.
He remained calm in the face of danger and had the courage not to flee the dangerous situation immediately, but to calmly stay at the scene to investigate the truth. Emperor Jingren's courage is unmatched by ordinary people.
However, he stayed in the hunting ground because he was sure of his life. It was not easy to bring people into the hunting ground. Even if he tried his best, he could only bring in about a hundred people. Seventy-eight people had been killed in the assassination. Even if there were assassins left in the hunting ground, there would not be many left. Now everyone was under guard, and any movement would be obvious at a glance. No one would take action at this time.
But it is a different story when a large number of people leave the hunting grounds. It is too easy for them to do something on the way. If they bring a few people with ulterior motives with them, it is possible that they will be killed again on the way or escape.
After analyzing the pros and cons, Emperor Jingren decided to take the risk and stay in the hunting ground, waiting for the arrival of a large number of imperial guards.
After he gave the order, his men went to work one after another, while Emperor Jingren stayed in the palace, protected by the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Household Guards, and the Palace Guards. However, in the eyes of Emperor Jingren, so many people were not as good as the Queen.
On the way, the queen got into the carriage while everyone was not paying attention, changed into a phoenix robe, and when she arrived at the palace, she was the dignified and majestic queen again. She and Emperor Jingren went into the palace hand in hand and were protected by everyone, accompanying him.
While his men were all at work, Emperor Jingren was not idle either. With Yan Xu's identification, he finally knew that the woman in eunuch's attire was Su Huailing.
It was no small matter for a woman to sneak into the hunting ground alone without any help. This time, Emperor Jingren decided to interrogate Su Huailing in person.
After listening to Su Huailing's detailed account of how he successfully sneaked into the hunting ground, Emperor Jingren really believed in Su Huailing's good luck this time. The process of sneaking in was just like the head-butting incident. It was completely unreasonable and could only be attributed to Su Huailing's incredible good luck.
Emperor Jingren imagined a scenario in which, if there was no empress, he would be assassinated along with a hundred guards and would meet Su Huailing by chance. He inexplicably felt that if that were the case, he might really be saved by Su Huailing's good luck.
Thinking of this, Emperor Jingren actually liked Su Huailing a little more and was willing to ask more questions: "You took great pains to see me last time, and now you keep saying you want to see the queen. What kind of injustice have you suffered that requires me and the queen to make a decision for you?"
Finally hearing these words from Emperor Jingren, Su Huailing was so excited that she told him how good her brother Xiao Shunzi was, and how he was framed by Concubine Xiang for stealing and was about to be beaten to death. The Queen sat aside, watching Emperor Jingren interrogate Su Huailing without saying a word.
"Your Majesty," Su Huailing cried, "My brother was about to be beaten to death, and I couldn't save him. I heard someone say that you set up the imperial garden, so I thought of asking you to clear my brother's grievances. Human life is at stake, I, I have no choice, wuwu..."
She was very beautiful, although not as beautiful as the most beautiful concubine, but she was also a pretty lady. She cried beautifully, like a pear blossom in the rain, which made people feel pity.
"Later, thanks to the emperor for not blaming me and my brother, he allowed me to go to the cold palace, and my brother saved his life. I offended the emperor and deserved to be sent to the cold palace, but my brother was innocent. He, he shouldn't be in a place like the cold palace!" Su Huailing cried, "So I want to ask the queen to clear my brother's name and let him leave the cold palace, wuwuwu..."
After listening to her story, the Queen slowly said: "This palace..."
"Wait," Emperor Jingren held the Queen's hand and interrupted her, "I know Jinyi is kind-hearted, but there are some rules that cannot be broken, and some things that cannot be tolerated. Let me tell you."
Queen: “…”
She always wanted to know how Emperor Jingren came to the conclusion that she was kind-hearted.
"Su Huailing, do you know that the palace has its own rules? The only punishments that concubines can use on servants are house arrest, kneeling, facing the wall, copying commandments, slapping, and kowtowing. Not to mention caning to death, even caning, except for me, only the empress who is in charge of the phoenix seal has the right to give the order. Xiangpin was just a concubine of the sixth rank. Who gave her the power to cane the palace maids? You should not have come to me at that time, but went directly to Kunning Palace to see the empress. You did not seek justice for your brother, but only asked Xiangpin for the unauthorized execution. In this way, you could have saved your brother? Do you know there is such a palace rule?" Emperor Jingren asked seriously.
"I know." Su Huailing nodded, "But..."
Emperor Jingren did not give her a chance to argue, but continued: "Then why did you not go to the Queen, but came to me instead? Do you think the Queen can't give you justice?"
The last word already carried a hint of anger.
Su Huailing was crying quietly just now, but now that the emperor was angry, she dared not make a sound and lowered her head deeply.
"After you bumped into me in the Imperial Garden, you and your brother were transferred to the cold palace. You came to the Queen to seek justice this time. Do you think your brother is innocent?" asked Emperor Jingren.
In the face of the emperor's majesty, Su Huailing dared not speak and could only nod slightly.
"What a joke!" Emperor Jingren said coldly, "Your offense against me is a crime of treason, and your brother-in-law is the cause of your rash actions, so he is equally guilty. Transferring the two of you to the cold palace is already a leniency, how can it be wronged!"
"How can this be generalized?" Su Huailing raised his head and said bravely, "It's all my fault. It has nothing to do with my sworn brother!"
"If a child is not taught well, it is the fault of the father. A family, a village, a clan are all of the same blood. Some crimes cannot be borne by one person alone." Emperor Jingren said coldly, "Considering your sincere intention to save me, I will not pursue your crime of sneaking into the hunting ground this time. However, those who let you sneak into the hunting ground due to negligence will be dismissed and investigated. You cannot bear the crime of these people alone!"
After Emperor Jingren finished speaking, he waved his hand, and someone covered Su Huailing's mouth and dragged him out as he was still trying to protest.