After Princess Ning An left the courtyard, Xiao Heng completely pushed open the window that could not be seen with a small slit if he didn't take a closer look.
He looked at her back disappearing at the gate of the palace, and said softly, "Thank you auntie."
Princess Ning An did not return to Bixia Hall immediately after leaving Renshou Palace, but went to the Imperial Study Room.
"Ning'an is here, come and sit down." The emperor put down the memorial in his hand, rested for many days, and piled up a lot of official duties. In addition, the murder case of rewarding Ning'an and Xianleju made him a little overwhelmed.
Princess Ning'an came to the emperor's side.
Eunuch Wei brought a small stool and placed it by the emperor's side.
Ning An sat down gracefully and looked at the emperor with gentle eyes: "Have I disturbed the emperor?"
The emperor smiled: "No, sit down. I said you can come over whenever you want, and you will never disturb me."
Princess Ning'an recalled: "I remember that when I was a child, the emperor often said the same thing. The emperor is a prince and has a lot of schoolwork. Every time I go to the emperor, the emperor is studying."
The emperor said with emotion: "I am not favored by my father. If I don't try to impress my father in my studies, I am afraid that my father will forget that I have this son."
Princess Ning'an turned to look at him, her eyes full of reverence: "But it's still the emperor's brother who will stabilize the throne in the end."
"That's thanks to the Queen Mother." When it came to the Queen Mother Zhuang, the emperor felt a little more emotional, "I probably don't know what happened to me and the Queen Mother during the years you were away."
Although the emperor hated Concubine Jing, he felt sorry for Ning An in the end. He didn't tell Ning An the crimes that Concubine Jing instigated him and Empress Dowager Zhuang one by one.
"... I was drugged, separated from my mother, and did too many things to be sorry for my mother. Now, when I look back, my mother helped me to the throne with my own hands, but I treated her like this. She must be very sad in her heart."
Princess Ning'an said softly, "Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, the emperor no longer has to blame himself for the past."
The emperor embarrassed and said: "I have always blamed my mother for controlling the government, but if it wasn't for this, I'm afraid this country would have fallen into the hands of Concubine Jing and the remnants of the previous dynasty."
Princess Ning'an lowered her head.
The emperor said earnestly: "Ning'an, that woman is not worthy of being your mother. You can only have a mother in your heart. The mother is the one who truly cares and protects you."
Princess Ning An smiled: "Ning An knows that Ning An will honor his mother, and Ning An will honor his brother."
The emperor smiled happily.
Princess Ning'an's eyes moved, and she said, "By the way, Brother Huang, I just saw Lord Xiao in my mother's harem."
The emperor thought for a while: "Is Liu Lang?"
There are not many foreign men who can enter the dormitory of the Empress Dowager Zhuang, and there is only one surnamed Xiao Liulang.
Princess Ning'an nodded: "Yes, the mother called him Liulang. It seems that Mr. Xiao is also here for the case of the Ministry of Punishment. I didn't understand what he said."
The emperor remembered something and said with a sigh: "There is indeed such a thing. He just came to the imperial study and said that the suspect in Xianleju has woken up."
"Are you really awake?" Princess Ning'an asked.
"Huh?" The emperor looked at Princess Ning'an strangely.
"This matter is related to the reputation of the royal family, so I'm more concerned about it. Could it be that I have surpassed it?"
The emperor smiled: "How come?"
"That's good." Ning An smiled in relief, "I see that it was written on the file that she was intoxicated with a drug called seven-day drunkenness, and it was said that she would be in a coma for seven days."
Mentioning this, the emperor smiled: "With the little magician here, none of this is difficult."
Princess Ning'an looked at the memorial on the table and asked in a relaxed tone, "So did she recruit?"
The emperor said: "It's still interrogating."
Princess Ning An gently touched the tip of her nose with the handkerchief: "Brother Huang, do you want someone to take a look?"
The emperor thought for a moment: "Alright."
The emperor sent over this time is Eunuch He.
Eunuch He had never been exposed in front of Princess Jing, but the emperor was not shy in front of Princess Ning'an, except for the hardships Princess Ning'an suffered at the frontier, which further increased his trust and love.
Eunuch He came back quickly, and Princess Ning An was still in the imperial study.
He reported: "In response to His Majesty, the suspect named Hua Xiyao did wake up. Xing Shangshu personally interrogated her, but she refused to say anything, and she didn't eat or drink. It seemed that she planned to go on hunger strike to death."
"Does Xianleju know that she is awake?"
It was Princess Ning'an who asked the question.
She seemed to be paying particular attention to the case.
But thinking that she is also the emperor's sister and one of the suspects behind the murder in this case, her concern seems reasonable.
If Princess Xinyang is here, I am afraid that she will pay more attention to the progress of the case than her.
Eunuch He thought so in his heart, and answered her question respectfully: "I know, since the Xianleju case has become so turbulent in the city, it is difficult to hide every move of the Ministry of Justice, and there are always people who want to find out something from the Ministry of Justice. Xianleju is no exception, Xianleju also has a maid who brought snacks to visit the suspect."
Princess Ning An asked, "What's your name?"
Eunuch He glanced at Princess Ning'an suspiciously, and then he looked at the emperor's face without any difference. The emperor was so happy to be used to Princess Ning'an, so Eunuch He might not give the princess face.
He Gong said: "It seems to be called Ling'er? Or Ling'er? Probably such a name."
Linger, Hua Xiyao's personal maid.
Princess Ning'an asked again, "What did the two of them say?"
He Gong said: "This servant is not clear, that maid begged to have a few words with Hua Xiyao alone, Xing Shangshu agreed."
…
There is a separate cell at the end of the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. It is not the same as the ordinary cell. It is more like a separate secret room. Not only has an iron door been added, but it is also guarded by two powerful yamen.
The walls on both sides of the corridor were hung with flaming braziers, and the roaring flames shone on the yamen's expressionless face, making it a little more solemn and solemn for no reason.
The door of the cell was tightly locked, and everything seemed to be peaceful, but the suspect had already made a fuss in the cell.
Hua Xiyao was tied to a chair, with her hands and feet bound by ropes.
Xiao Heng did not lie.
Hua Xiyao did wake up, and Ling'er's maid from Xianleju did come.
He gave Hua Xiyao a bowl of "broken head rice".
Hua Xiyao sneered: "Do you think that if you just bought a maid and poisoned me in the name of the young master, I would doubt the young master? Naive!"
Xiao Heng was noncommittal, looked at her and said, "You have no doubts about your young master. I wonder if your young master has the same confidence in you?"
Hua Xiyao laughed so much that her body trembled slightly: "Master Xiao, Zhuangyuan Xiao, I don't know what to call you. Do you really think that the young master will be fooled? You underestimate the young master! You are too arrogant. Big! From the moment you took Bai Kun's identity to write a confession letter, the young master already knew that you would set her up again! Because, there is no one named Bai Kun under the young master! You can only fool the people of the capital, but as long as I don't reveal the identity of the young master, you will not be able to convict the young master!"
Xiao Heng's expression did not change at all because of her words: "Bai Kun is fake, but you Hua Xiyao are real."
Hua Xiyao smiled and said coldly: "So what? I won't confess! I won't confess to the young master!"
Xiao Heng asked back: "Does it matter whether you admit your guilt or not? There can be one Bai Kun in this world, and there can be a second one."
Hua Xiyao frowned: "What do you mean?"
Xiao Heng clicked to the end, brushed off his wide sleeves, pressed the switch at hand, and the stone door slowly opened.
He took out a confession letter from his arms: "Come on, this is Hua Xiyao's confession letter."
Hua Xiyao's face changed: "You!"
Xiao Heng said indifferently, "It was handwritten."
Hua Xiyao was trembling with anger: "You're here to frame the blame again! Can you be a little new, Mr. Xiao? Is that all you have left?"
"It doesn't matter if the means are old-fashioned or not, as long as it is practical." Xiao Heng handed the confession letter to the yamen next to him, "Send it to the imperial palace to His Majesty, and say Hua Xiyao has pleaded guilty."
Hua Xiyao scolded: "Despicable! Kill me if you have the ability! Otherwise, once His Majesty interrogates me, I will say that you wrote the confession!"
"Then make a bet, you won't survive the moment when His Majesty arraigns you..." Xiao Heng raised his eyebrows and looked at her, his eyes became cold, "The murderer is not me."
The yamen was Xing Shangshu's confidant, and he went to the palace immediately after receiving Xiao Heng's instructions.
The yamen did not have a token to enter the palace, and he had to be reported to the emperor before he could be led in.
The yamen bowed his hands and said, "Trouble the two eldest brothers to report to His Majesty, I am here to send the confession, the prisoner of Xianleju has pleaded guilty!"
This case was a big deal, Xiao Heng and Xing Shangshu entered the palace several times, and the fool also saw that His Majesty took the case seriously.
The Imperial Guards guarding the city did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly sent one person to the imperial study to pass the news.
The little eunuch in the imperial study reported to Eunuch Wei again.
Eunuch Wei bowed and entered the imperial study room, and reported, "Your Majesty, the prisoner of Xianleju has pleaded guilty."
The emperor was very excited: "Really?"
Wei Gonggong said: "Yes, the people from the Ministry of Punishment sent the confession letter, right at the gate of the palace, saying that it was written by Hua Xiyao."
Princess Ning'an: "It can't be fake, can it?"
Wei Gonggong said: "You can't fake it! When Xianleju Hua Kui faked his death, Hua Xiyao went to the Ministry of Justice as a suspect to make a transcript, and she has her handwriting!"
Princess Ning'an's handkerchief clenched tightly.
The emperor was very excited: "What are you doing! Hurry up! Hurry up!"
Eunuch Wei was also very excited and said with a smile, "Yes! The servants will go in person!"
Princess Ning'an's eyes moved slightly, she put down half of the tea she drank, and said to the emperor, "Since the emperor has something important to do, then I will retire first."
The emperor clapped her hand and said dotingly: "You don't have to evade, let's listen to the case together."
Princess Ning'an's eyelashes trembled slightly: "This... is not good."
The emperor said: "What's wrong? You are my sister, the princess of the Zhao Kingdom. Since this case is related to the Zhao Kingdom princess, you are qualified to listen. If Xinyang is here, I will not drive her away. will go."
Xinyang is a person who writes her means and ambitions on her face. If she wants to interfere in the affairs of the state, she will interfere in the affairs of the state, but fortunately, she is not interested in this. After interfering in the state affairs a few times, she feels boring, so she goes home and takes her son.
There is a little distance from the imperial study to the gate of the palace. Eunuch Wei's footsteps are not fast. If he walks the trail, he will be able to "rob" the confession letter before Eunuch Wei.
Princess Ning An wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, looked at the gradually darkening sky, and said, "At this hour, Xian'er should be looking for me."
"He's not a three-year-old, is he going to find a mother at night?" The emperor didn't like that little remnant from the previous dynasty, but for Princess Ning'an's sake, he still didn't show his disgust for Huangfuxian too much. Obviously, "I'll go see Xian'er with you in a while, and take my luan drive, very soon!"
In such a cold day, how could he rest assured to let Ning An go back alone
Princess Ning'an began to frequently exchange her left and right hands to drink from a cup.
"Are you so thirsty?"
"A bit."
After drinking three full cups, Princess Ning'an said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I think like..."
Before the word about going to the toilet was finished, Eunuch Wei brought people in with a happy face: "Your Majesty! The people are here!"
The emperor said sternly: "Come in!"
Eunuch Wei led the yamen into the house.
The yamen presented the confession with both hands.
Eunuch Wei stretched out his hand to take it.
"I'll do it." Princess Ning An stood up and went around the desk to take the letter from the yamen.
The capital was still cold in the first month, and two charcoal basins were burned in the imperial study, one of which was not far from the emperor's side.
When Princess Ning'an walked towards the emperor with the confession letter, she suddenly stumbled on the soles of her feet, Hua Rong let out a pale voice, and she fell forward!
The confession in her hand also flew out and flew into the brazier impartially!
Between the confession and Princess Ning'an, the emperor would of course choose to protect Ning'an, how could he be willing to let Ning'an fall
The emperor got up with a shudder, and caught Ning An with his strong right arm.
The moment Ning An was caught, she let out a long sigh of relief. She fell into the emperor's arms, gasped slightly, and said in a guilty tone, "I'm sorry, Brother Huang, I lost the confession."
The emperor raised an eyebrow at her and smiled: "Look!"
Ning An turned his head to look, and was instantly struck by lightning!
I saw that the emperor's left hand accurately grasped the confession letter!
Emperor: Thanks to the fact that I often play leaf cards with the queen mother, the left hand draws cards properly!
(End of this chapter)