Since it was treason, it naturally could not be ignored. Originally, it should have been investigated by the Ministry of Justice, examined by the Dali Temple, and supervised by the Supervisory Council. However, because the Li family and the Duke of Xiangguo were relatives, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice did not participate in this matter in order to avoid suspicion, but handed it over to the two vice ministers. Similarly, the teahouse was under the name of the wife of the Dali Temple Minister. Even if the things found out were temporarily unrelated to the Zhang family, who could guarantee that they were really unrelated to the Zhang family? Therefore, the Dali Temple Minister was also excluded from this matter. No matter what, he could not escape the crime of negligence, so he was directly ordered to stay at home. The specific punishment would be decided after the matter was fully understood.
Emperor Xuanren was a man who would even allow his subordinates to "slack off" as long as they finished the tasks at hand. Therefore, during festivals, except for each government office that arranged people to be on duty, everyone else could have a holiday. However, when something happened, they had to be more conscientious and "work overtime".
If it's a good thing, such as arranging it for the Empress Dowager's longevity, one would definitely be happy to do it even if it means "working overtime". But if it's something like this, one would probably not be so happy. One would not have much time to relax and spend time with family. Especially for those who have made preparations and plans in advance, it would be strange if they could feel happy when their plans are broken.
Even if the Minister of Justice is not in charge of this matter, he is the head of the Ministry of Justice and still needs to stay in the yamen. Some things may require his help and reference.
The Tianlao was located next to the prison of the Dali Temple, and the Dali Temple was also in the same area, but it was relatively farther away and it didn’t take too much time to get there.
As a result, when Li Ruoshui and the Minister of Justice went to the Dali Temple, Mrs. Li had not arrived yet.
The Minister of Justice asked Li Ruoshui to wait outside and he went into the Dali Temple.
Logically speaking, prison visits are not allowed now, but as the saying goes, the law is based on human feelings, some things can still be compromised. The Minister of Justice came out in person, and it was not him who wanted to meet anyone.
The most powerful person in the Dali Temple was Xia Du Yu Shi, but he was only responsible for supervision, so when people from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice looked at him, he was calm and didn't take it seriously.
In terms of rank, the Minister of Justice and the Chief Censor are of the same level, but one is involved in the matter and the other is outside it. The Minister of Justice cannot interfere casually. Now it is equivalent to asking for help from others, so he has to humble himself.
As for Xia Du Yushi's temper, they also knew it. If he didn't respond now, it would be a bit embarrassing.
Finally, Xia Du Yu Shi couldn't stand it anymore and said calmly: "In your eyes, it seems that I am unreasonable? Whatever the rules are, if you haven't done anything wrong, can I just make a report to the emperor casually?"
Everyone came to their senses and realized that it was because of their daily excessive sense of awe.
It was just to let an insignificant little girl in for a look, and the emperor didn't issue an order prohibiting anyone from visiting, so it wasn't considered a violation of the rules, and there was nothing to say.
The Minister of Justice had the same expression when he entered as when he came out. His daughter-in-law had already collected the things and looked at the large and small bags. The corners of her mouth moved involuntarily and she waved her hand casually, "Except for some food, you can't take anything else. Also, your nephew is in the Tianlao, and your father and brothers are in the prison of the Dali Temple."
Therefore, the things in this food box also need to be separated.
Mrs. Li felt a little embarrassed when she heard this.
The Minister of Justice stopped looking at her and his eyes fell on Li Ruoshui. "Go ahead and take a look and come out. Don't say anything you shouldn't say, and don't ask anything you shouldn't ask. Remember?"
"Grandfather, I remember it." Li Ruoshui nodded obediently.
The Minister of Justice waved his hand and said, "I will go back to the government office first."
So, after the things were distributed, Li Ruoshui carried the food box and walked towards the Tianlao alone - because the Tianlao was relatively closer, Li Ruoshui used the excuse that his condition might be worse and he wanted to go see him first. In fact, he couldn't feel at ease until he got himself out - compared to the red pillars and red gates, the door here was much smaller and had only one door. The hole in the wall was made of cold green stone with a row of fangs on it. It didn't look like a door, but rather like the bloody mouth of some ferocious beast.
Just this made Li Ruoshui shiver for no reason. Before he even walked in, he seemed to feel a chill and smell blood, which made him feel nauseous.
To be honest, Li Ruoshui had only seen the Heavenly Prison in movies and TV shows in her previous life. It was an artistic creation, so she was not sure whether the real situation was more serious than that or something else...
However, no matter what the situation is, this kind of place is never a good place.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary, Li Ruoshui would definitely not come, even if this was a good opportunity to enhance his reputation.
There is a women's prison in the jail. Although people who go to prison can be said to have lost everything, sometimes, when there is no final verdict, some attention must be paid to prevent ordinary jailers from violating those noble ladies.
Knowing that Li Ruoshui was a noble lady and not the type to be imprisoned, they called a female jailer to search Li Ruoshui's body. The examination was very thorough, just like a student entering the examination room, and no part of her was spared. At the same time, all the hairpins on her body, including jade bracelets that could form "sharp blades" if broken, were taken off, in order to prevent her from giving the people inside a chance to commit suicide.
Being roughly tossed around by someone, Li Ruoshui even wondered if this woman had a problem with her sexual orientation and was deliberately taking advantage of her. She felt extremely humiliated, but now she could only endure it.
After finally finishing the check, she took the food box that was not tightly covered and opened it to take a look. At that moment, she even wanted to throw the food away because it was not mealtime, so she had prepared some snacks. Now they were all broken into pieces, and the portions looked too small. Not only did she end up like this, but she also ate it secretly. She was indeed a short-sighted and despicable person.
For Li Ruoshui, this is a typical situation where it is easy to see the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with the little ghosts.
It was darker inside than expected, but the smell was not very strong. Under the light of the fire, the place was relatively clean and did not cause any physiological reaction in Li Ruoshui for the time being. So, just now outside, it was probably because of instinctive fear and psychological effects that caused the physiological reaction.
However, when he arrived at the cell, Li Ruoshui was still frightened by the torture instruments hanging on the walls and placed near the walls. Even though he didn't know how to use some of them, he seemed to feel pain all over his body.
The prison is not big, with only three cells. There are no rats or cockroaches there. However, there is still a toilet. Now it is May, and you can imagine the smell.
Li Ruoshui didn't want to get close because of the smoke, but when he saw the person wearing a white prison uniform, covered in blood, lying on a narrow, hard bed, his eyes still froze.
This was a crime, obviously.
Li Ruoshui tried her best to ignore the disgusting smell, and ran forward in a panic, following the iron bars, "Cousin, Cousin Ming, I'm Ruoshui, how are you, wake up, wake up..." She seemed to be sobbing uncontrollably, "Cousin Ming..."
The sleeping person moved, and turned his head with great effort. His confused eyes became clear, as if he finally saw the person clearly. He suddenly became incredulous and stood up excitedly, but suddenly fell to the ground. His face was distorted by pain, but he didn't care about that. He almost rolled over and crawled over, holding Li Ruoshui's hand tightly, "Cousin, cousin, why are you here? Huh? You shouldn't be here, leave quickly, leave quickly, this is not a good place."
Li Ruoshui's eyes gently swept over the hand she was holding. It was dirty and stained with blood, but she did not pull her hand back. "Cousin Ming, don't you want to see me?"
"I do, of course I do." He was worried that something might happen to her. How could a delicate and weak girl like her bear it? Now that he saw that she was fine, he felt relieved. "But you came in here..."
"I begged my grandfather to help me get in. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
"Ruoshui..."
The Duke of Xiangguo's surname is Liang, and his given name is Ming. His father is the youngest son of the Duke of Xiangguo, and the uncle of Li Ruoshui. He is now the local commander of the guards. Liang Ming is the eldest son of this family, and he is only seventeen years old. He is one of the small group of people in the Duke of Xiangguo's mansion who want to protect Li Ruoshui and marry her.
He inherited the characteristics of the Liang family, with a tall stature and having practiced martial arts since childhood. Even at the age of seventeen, he already exuded a sense of heroism. He was originally one of the people that the Liang family focused on training.
He is actually quite smart, but when he encountered what happened to Li Ruoshui, he acted stupidly and his IQ dropped.
At this moment, he was extremely moved. He was imprisoned in this dark place, tortured over and over again, but no one in his family could come to see him, so he could not get any help from heaven or earth. Only Ruoshui thought about him and missed him. It can be seen that Liang Chunchun has not yet realized the seriousness of the matter, and does not know what kind of situation the Xiangguo Mansion is in because of him.
"Cousin, what's going on? You can't do that. Is there some misunderstanding?" Li Ruoshui's eyes were filled with confusion, worry and fear. Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask, but she asked.
She didn't need to say or ask anything unnecessary. Just this sentence was enough to clear herself.
He didn't know that the script was best written by her. Even if he knew, she didn't give it to him personally. A single word from her could make him think elsewhere. She was very sure of this.
Sure enough, Liang Ming's pupils shrank violently. So, that book was not written by Ruoshui at all? ! - It was obvious that someone was using Ruoshui to harm him, and he was fooled because of his carelessness. No, no, if this was really the case, then the one being targeted was not him, but their Xiangguo Mansion!
"Ruoshui, how is the Xiangguo Mansion? How are my grandfather and the others?" Liang Ming asked anxiously.
Li Ruoshui pursed his lips, his eyes showing a bit of panic, and then he spoke carefully, "The Xiangguo Mansion has been temporarily sealed, and my grandfather and uncles are in the Dali Temple prison."
Don't say anything that shouldn't be said, she said.
This was like a bolt from the blue to Liang Ming, and he froze completely.
"Cousin Ming, cousin Ming, don't worry. There must be some misunderstanding here. Everything will come out in the end. Believe me, believe me. You will be fine. Grandfather and uncles will be fine. Duke Xiangguo's Mansion will be fine too. Please don't be like this. Please don't be like this. I'm scared." Li Ruoshui's eyes were filled with tears.
Liang Ming came back to his senses and reached out to wipe away Li Ruoshui's tears. "Ruoshui, don't be afraid. You are right. We will be fine. So, you should be good and leave here first."
"But… "
"Be good, listen to me and go quickly." As he said this, he reached out and pushed her.
Li Ruoshui stood up hesitantly, "Brother Ming..."
"Hurry up!" Liang Ming's tone couldn't help but become a little heavier.
Li Ruoshui could only walk away, looking back every few steps. As he got further away, he said, "Cousin Ming, please eat some of the snacks in the lunch box. Eat some..."
From afar, Li Ruoshui seemed to hear Liang Ming's roar like a trapped beast, which made her clench her fists unconsciously. Her heart tightened, and she followed the jailer with a flickering look in her eyes. This was not her fault, it was an unintentional mistake. She wanted to live well, and she could not drag the Li family into it, so it was not her fault!
After preparing herself mentally, Li Ruoshui relaxed a little. Her eyes were misty again, and her brows were filled with sadness and worry. It seemed that she was terribly worried about her family's affairs.
When Mrs. Li saw Li Ruoshui coming out, her appearance was a little confused, her heart suddenly rose to her throat, and she hurried forward, "Ruoshui, what's wrong with you?"
"Mom, I'm fine. When I went in, I was searched and all my accessories were taken off. I couldn't do it well enough, so this happened." Li Ruoshui explained.
Mrs. Li breathed a sigh of relief and helped her tidy up her appearance. "Where is your cousin? How is he?"
"I think they used torture. It doesn't look good, but I don't know the details."
It was expected that he would be tortured after being sent to the Heavenly Prison.
Mrs. Li moved her lips, "Don't think too much about it, go see your grandfather and uncles." Seeing that the food box was not brought out, "Don't bring anything, I don't think I have much appetite at the moment, just go in."
Li Ruoshui nodded, changed direction and headed towards the prison of Dali Temple.
This place is much more spacious, not so cramped and gloomy. Grandfather and uncles look a bit listless, but they probably haven't been tortured. Li Ruoshui was obviously relieved.
Although I was surprised, I was also very happy to see Li Ruoshui, Duke Xiangguo and his sons.
When he learned that she was allowed to come in only with the help of the Minister of War, he was very moved. It is easy to imagine that everyone now wants to cut off all ties with the Duke of Xiangguo's Mansion, but this girl is still thinking about them. I wonder how much courage it takes for a girl to run to such a place.
"Grandfather, I went to see Cousin Ming first."
The pupils of several people in the cell shrank, with some unknown emotions, and their cheeks bulged due to excessive force. "How is your cousin Ming now?" asked the Duke of Xiangguo.
"Not very good. I asked him if there was any misunderstanding, but my cousin didn't say anything, and my grandfather didn't let me ask more." Li Ruoshui seemed a little apologetic for not being able to help.
"Your grandfather is right. It's great that a little girl like you has the courage to come to visit the prison. Don't worry about other things. And tell your mother not to worry about it. Stay in the Li family and don't think about using connections for us." Duke Xiangguo held Li Ruoshui's hand and gave her earnest instructions.
Li Ruoshui felt that his grandfather was writing on her hand. She subconsciously wanted to take a look, but was pinched by Duke Xiangguo. She shook her head slightly. Li Ruoshui was not stupid after all. She pursed her lips. Duke Xiangguo wrote on the other side, which was clearly the word "study". She immediately understood that there might be something in her grandfather's study that needed attention.
"Grandfather, I understand. Don't worry."
The Duke of Xiangguo finally smiled a little, but it was just a little bit. It might not be too late now. In fact, the Duke of Xiangguo did not care much about a sentence in the storybook. Things that were made up would always come to light. Instead, he was worried that other things would be involved, which would be fatal. Because the matter happened too suddenly, he did not have time to deal with it, and several sons who knew about it were also arrested. If they could have left one person outside, he would not have been so worried.
I just hope...
However, what the Duke of Xiangguo did not know was that at this moment, the commander of Kaiping Guard personally led people to the Duke of Xiangguo's mansion, and their target was also the study, not only the outer study, but also the inner study, no study room, big or small, was spared.
Originally, Kaiping Guard had nothing to do with the "Three Courts Trial", but in this matter, Kaiping Guard became the executor of certain things.
The final result has not yet come out, so naturally the Xiangguo Mansion has not been searched, but if they want to go in and look for things, the people of Kaiping Guard are the most suitable. If it involves treason, some things will be "confiscated" first, which is a matter of course. Wei Tingyu didn't need to be reminded, and he knew that this would happen.
Therefore, Duke Xiangguo’s worries were not unnecessary, but unfortunately, it was too late.
Prince Wei had already received the news while sitting in his study. His suspicion was correct, but it seemed that there were only two charges: killing civilians and claiming military merits, and taking the opportunity to plunder and enrich himself. There was no evidence for the charge of collaborating with the enemy. However, the first two charges were enough to finish off the Xiangguo Mansion.
Although not everyone in the Duke of Xiangguo's Mansion would be convicted, the title of Duke of Xiangguo would certainly be revoked, and all the officials in their family would be dismissed. Liang Ming's father was also one of the people who "made great contributions" back then, so he would definitely be sent to the local area to escort him back as soon as possible.
Let’s not talk about other people for now. Duke Xiangguo and his two sons will not die, but exile is inevitable.
I was able to save my life because of Queen Mother Qianqiu.