The Queen said, "Prince Baoan is right. I was indeed biased in handling this matter, but I was not biased on purpose. After understanding the cause and effect, I learned that it was Wang Yi'er who deliberately provoked the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince took her away in anger. He did not intend to hurt her, but just wanted to warn her. Otherwise, he would not have taken her to the Imperial Temple, where there are many high monks. The Crown Prince saw that Wang Yi'er was really arrogant, so he took her to the Imperial Temple to listen to Buddhist music to restrain her temper. Although she made a mistake, it was not a big mistake. Afterwards, Prince Liang beat him up for this matter, so I think the punishment of three months of house arrest is not biased."
She first admitted that she was biased, and then after her statement, she said that she was not partial. Although she reversed the order, she gave people the illusion of humility.
The Queen's words were recognized by many ministers. Indeed, if it was just a vicious commoner girl who had provoked the current Crown Prince, then it would be fine for the Crown Prince to punish her. Moreover, as the Queen said, this commoner girl had not been injured, nor had she suffered any losses. She was just brought to the Buddhist temple to listen to Buddhist music in peace. If it was true that the three-month confinement was wrong, it would be too severe.
Therefore, Prince Baoan also said: "If it is really as the Queen said, then it is not enough to be considered a crime."
Murong Jie sneered, "Yes, if it is really as the Queen said, it is indeed not enough to be considered guilty, but is it really the case? This Wang Yi'er is the daughter of the Crown Prince of Liang, the Princess of Liang. She came to the Princess's Mansion to provide the whereabouts of the blood antelope horn. How could she provoke the Crown Prince? This king has asked the people in the Princess's Mansion, and this so-called provocation does not exist. The reason is that the Crown Prince and the King of Liang have a personal grudge. When he learned that the King of Liang liked the Princess, he had a desire for revenge and ordered people to forcibly abduct her to the Imperial Temple and imprisoned her in the firewood room, and ordered the servants to offend the Princess. This can be testified by this king's Princess Xia Zian and all the monks in the Imperial Temple."
Murong Jie's words shocked everyone present, even the empress dowager was furious. She knew Murong Jie's character and knew that he would not frame the prince. What he said was certain, so it must be the truth. Moreover, not only Xia Zian but also the monks from the imperial temple testified to this matter.
The queen laughed, "I know that the prince has always disliked the prince and threatened me in the past to depose the prince. Since the emperor has given you this power, if you want to depose the prince, just do it. Why tell such a big lie? And saying that Wang Yi'er is the princess of Liang is simply ridiculous. As for the monk's testimony, the prince came prepared. He was afraid that the monk would succumb to the prince's power and cover up the lie for the prince."
"Whether it's a lie or the truth, we'll know when we get back to it," he ordered, "Come on, ask the prince to come out."
The Queen stopped him and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is injured and I'm afraid he should not attend. Although the Crown Prince is not talented, he cannot stand his uncle's false accusations. If he is stimulated and his injuries worsen, how can Your Highness bear it? Your Highness is his uncle, why are you so anxious to harass him?"
Murong Jie said: "Since it is a discussion of crime, he must be present. This is also to give him a chance to defend himself. If the queen gives up this opportunity on his behalf, this king does not care."
The Queen gnashed her teeth and said, "Your Highness is so aggressive. Has he already convicted the Crown Prince? As long as he is not convicted, he is still innocent. Your Highness is so harsh on him in front of so many relatives and ministers. I suspect that even if Your Highness really interrogates this matter, it will be unfair."
Murong Jie's face darkened. "Queen, this is a court discussion. The harem is not allowed to interfere. If the Queen has any opinions, you can raise them with me later."
After that, he gave the order: "Pass on my order, ask the prince to come up. If the prince cannot walk, carry him up."
The palace guards received the order and left.
The queen's face was livid. "The prince is too arrogant. The queen mother is here too. Can't even the queen mother intervene?"
Murong Jie turned to look at the Queen Mother, "Are you here to listen in, mother?"
The Queen Mother felt relieved when she saw that he didn't mention Concubine Yi. She felt that she had been a little rash just now and actually doubted him. When she heard him ask this, the Queen Mother said, "If it is a major court matter, I have no control over it and should not attend. I just heard that it is related to the Crown Prince, so I, your grandmother, came to listen, but I will not make any decisions."
"Mother!" The Queen did not expect the Queen Mother to speak like this. She resented her favoritism. She was so concerned about Xin'er but ignored the Crown Prince.
The Grand Tutor gave her a warning look, signaling her to stop talking. Now that the discussion hasn't even started, she was opposing this and that, which would be bad.
The queen noticed her father's gaze and calmed herself down a bit. She looked around at everyone and said, "My mother is right. I shouldn't interfere."
Crown Prince Murong Qiao was brought up. He was carried up by someone and looked extremely weak. His face was pale without a trace of blood, and his eyes no longer had the arrogance of the past. He seemed extremely guilty and uneasy.
The prince looked around at everyone in fear, lowered his head and said, "Uncle, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have ordered people to kidnap Wang Yi'er just for a few provocations, but I really didn't know in advance that this was the girl that my brother liked. My brother also beat me. I know I was wrong."
The prince had always been high and mighty in the past. No one had ever seen him like this. How could he still look like a prince? He looked like a little boy who had done something wrong and was punished. This look made the royal family feel sorry for him.
Murong Jie, however, did not buy it at all and said in a cold voice, "Let's put this matter aside for now. We can question you again after all the witnesses have entered the palace. Now I want to ask you, did you order someone to steal Liu Yue's blood antelope horn from Yue Lai Inn today?"
The prince looked confused, "Blood antelope horn? I don't have any. I don't even know what a blood antelope horn is."
"Really?" Murong Jie sneered, "You don't know, right? Come on, bring the person up."
Everyone looked outside and saw the imperial guards escorting two people in. One was the eunuch Quan who was close to the crown prince, and the other one looked like he had been tortured and was dragged in.
"Zhang Qi, who ordered you to steal the bloody antelope horns?"
Taifu Liang stood up suddenly, "Your Highness, you just mentioned two charges against the Crown Prince, saying that he kidnapped a commoner girl and was unkind and unfilial to the Grand Princess. Now you have added the charge of being a thief. It seems that Your Highness is deliberately trying to depose the Crown Prince. But, you can always find a pretext to accuse him of something."
Murong Jie didn't even look at him, let alone respond, and continued to interrogate Zhang Qi, "Tell me, who ordered you to steal the blood antelope horn?"
Taifu Liang was furious, and even more angry at the Crown Prince. Murong Jie's words were probably not a false accusation, and that bastard boy really had done it, but he didn't mention it at all when he asked him just now.
Zhang Qi, a commoner, used to bully people among the common people, but when he came to the palace and faced the majesty of Murong Jie, where was the slightest bit of his prestige
He pointed at Eunuch Quan and said with trembling lips: "To answer your question, my cousin ordered me to steal it."
Zhang Quanlong was furious and said in a stern voice: "You are talking nonsense. When did I ever order you to steal the bloody antelope horns? Who ordered you to talk nonsense here to frame the prince? How many lives do you have?"
(End of this chapter)