Chapter 330: Caught Red-Handed
Chapter 330: Caught Red-Handed
At the Chancellor's Mansion.
Zongzheng Xi, Chancellor Xun, and Minister of Rites Xing, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, sat solemnly in the flower hall.
Minister of Rites Xing had received a report from his subordinates, stating that the search at the Chancellor's Mansion had taken an unexpected turn.
Scholar Lin and Censor Wang happened to be by his side at the time, and Censor Wang immediately decided to accompany them.
As for Scholar Lin, he was brought along by Censor Wang to make up the numbers.
Just as the three of them had walked halfway, they ran into Elder Yang...
So, the group in the flower hall was indeed a bit crowded.
The Majestic King had searched the mansion inside and out several times.
General Han was a military general, and his men had experienced countless battles, but the Minister of Punishment and the newly arrived law enforcement officers suffered greatly. They were exhausted, their eyes rolling back in their heads, and panting heavily like cattle.
General Han spoke to the Majestic King, "Majestic King, enough. It's pointless to continue searching. There's a limit to your antics."
"Who's making a fuss?"
The Majestic King shouted, hands on his waist.
General Han's expression turned serious, "You don't need to put on this act in front of me. I don't buy it."
Majestic King: "Do I care if you buy it or not?"
General Han played his trump card, "Majestic King, if you continue with this behavior, no one will stop you, but you are damaging the dignity of the Emperor. There are so many commoners waiting outside. Do you want to implicate the Emperor and have him ridiculed by the people as well?"
Thinking of the young Emperor with whom he had shared a prison friendship, the Majestic King felt a bit embarrassed.
And General Han was right.
There was a limit to his stubbornness, and going too far would only make the people think he was being unreasonable, pushing them towards Chancellor Xun.
"Alright, alright."
The Majestic King waved his sleeves and walked towards the flower hall with his hands behind his back.
The crowd saw him return empty-handed, and their expressions varied.
Zongzheng Xi still looked bewildered, completely clueless about the situation.
Chancellor Xun's expression was calm, as if he had nothing to hide and was not bothered by the Majestic King's whims. He truly had the composure of a chancellor.
Minister of Rites Xing had just heard the details of the search from the Minister of Punishment, and as the Minister of Punishment stepped into the flower hall, he gave him a deep look.
The Minister of Punishment lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.
Censor Wang only spoke about the matter at hand. Before the truth was revealed, he would not take sides or make assumptions about either party.
In contrast, a hint of worry flashed across Scholar Lin's face.
Elder Yang, on the other hand, seemed to take pleasure in their misfortune. Having suffered many setbacks at the hands of this grandfather and grandson, he was delighted to have caught them in the wrong this time.
Offend the Chancellor?
He wouldn't know how he would die!
"Majestic King, what do you have to say for yourself this time?"
Xun Qi spoke up.
He stood by Chancellor Xun's side, his eyes gleaming with the pride of victory.
Elder Yang chimed in, "Since it can't be found, then please ask His Majesty to issue an edict and revoke the Majestic King's title!"
Xun Qi bowed to Zongzheng Xi, "Please issue an edict, Your Majesty!"
Zongzheng Xi was in a difficult position.
On one side was the Chancellor, and on the other was the Majestic King. One was a loyal subject of Great Zhou, and the other was his prison friend...
Elder Yang spoke up, "Your Majesty, it's already dark. Over a hundred guards and law enforcement officers have been searching with the Majestic King all day. General Han and Deputy Minister of Justice Yue are also here. Even if it's not a person, a mouse would have been found by now. There are so many people waiting outside. Please give the people an explanation! We can't ruin the reputation of the royal family and the court!"
Zongzheng Xi clenched his fist, "This..."
A hint of seriousness flashed in Minister of Rites Xing's eyes.
With the confession of Hai Zhu, he understood that the Chancellor was not innocent, but now the Majestic King was being put on the spot...
"Your Majesty."
Scholar Lin, who had been silent, spoke up.
Zongzheng Xi said, "Scholar Lin, please speak."
Scholar Lin stood up and bowed, "The Majestic King's disturbance at the Chancellor's Mansion is indeed against the law. It should be up to the current censor to reprimand him publicly and then revoke his title."
Zongzheng Xi furrowed his brows, "Public reprimand... wouldn't that be..."
Too harsh on the Majestic King?
Minister of Rites Xing bowed, "I second that!"
"Majestic King, do you have any objections?"
Zongzheng Xi asked.
The Majestic King clenched his fists, "I willingly accept the punishment."
The Majestic King was taken to the entrance of the Chancellor's Mansion.
Censor Wang adjusted his attire and, in front of the watching crowd, began to reprimand the Majestic King's actions with logical reasoning, extensive references, and eloquent speech.
The Majestic King's left ear heard, and his right ear let it out.
Brat, where are you?
This delaying tactic is a bit embarrassing...
---
In the secret passage, Lu Yuan, who had been chased all the way, leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.
Chen Long was not doing much better.
The secret passage was too narrow, making it difficult to execute their moves.
When Lu Yuan struck Chen Long with a palm strike, he would receive half of the force in return.
After a while, Lu Yuan was unsure if he would survive, but he was exhausted.
Meng Qianqian, accompanied by Bai Yuwei and Tan Er, followed behind them.
The two women seemed to be playing, but they were also exploring the path, triggering many mechanisms, leaving a safe route for them.
Bai Yuwei couldn't bear to watch these two childish men.
As they proceeded, the secret passage became narrower, barely accommodating three people side by side. Bai Yuwei pushed Tan Er aside.
Tan Er: "Why are you doing this?"
Bai Yuwei: "Little kid, stay behind us."
Tan Er hugged Meng Qianqian's arm, "You just want to take my sister!"
Bai Yuwei bristled, "Who's taking her? I don't want her!"
Tan Er pressed her face against Meng Qianqian's shoulder, "She wants you!"
Bai Yuwei: "...Hmph!"
Meng Qianqian smiled.
After a few more steps, only one person could pass at a time.
Tan Er walked in front, Bai Yuwei in the middle, and Meng Qianqian brought up the rear.
Bai Yuwei's expression finally relaxed.
Ah, she exclaimed, and the secret passage echoed in response.
"What were they thinking, placing the entrance to the secret passage beneath a coffin?" She asked, "Don't the people of the Central Plains value auspiciousness and inauspiciousness the most?"
Meng Qianqian explained, "Coffins are associated with promotion and wealth, so it's not necessarily inauspicious. However, ordinary people often avoid such things, fearing they might offend the spirits of the deceased."
In the ancestral hall, where the spirit tablets of the departed were enshrined, normal people would naturally be cautious and respectful. They searched carefully, but at a glance, it was clear no one could hide here, so they left.
Some dared to open the coffin for inspection, but it was difficult to guess that a secret passage was hidden beneath it.
Bai Yuwei murmured, "Just how long is this secret passage? We've been walking for so long, could we have already left the Chancellor's Mansion?"
Meng Qianqian replied, "The Chancellor's Mansion is quite vast."
However, Bai Yuwei's words gave her a new idea. Who could say that the entrance to the secret passage was only in one place? Perhaps it could lead to other locations as well.
As the three of them were talking, Lu Yuan and Chen Long stopped.
Lu Yuan pressed a hidden mechanism, and a stone door opened on the wall, revealing a secret chamber illuminated by a night pearl.
"What a huge night pearl!"
Tan Er's eyes lit up.
"Hold on," Lu Yuan said, reaching out to stop her.
Chen Long's expression was alert. "I'll go in first."
Lu Yuan decisively took three steps back.
Chen Long: "..."
This secret chamber was different from the one where Chen Long and Lu Yuan had been held captive. It had a desk and bookshelves, resembling a study.
"Your sword is in there too," Lu Yuan said, pointing to a sword case in the corner.
Earlier, when Chen Long was chasing Lu Yuan, he had drawn Meng Qianqian's Spring Saber.
His weapon had been taken by that expert while he was unconscious.
He never expected it to be hidden here.
Lu Yuan's expression was eager, as if saying, "Hurry up and go in, hurry up and go in."
Chen Long entered.
Then, he was ambushed by a barrage of hidden mechanisms.
Lu Yuan stroked his chin, "As expected."
Meng Qianqian stammered, "Was it intentional?"
Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "He's skilled, so it's no problem."
Meng Qianqian: "..."
After Chen Long dealt with the last poisoned arrow and destroyed the mechanism, he told the others, "You can come in now."
They entered the secret chamber.
Bai Yuwei browsed the bookshelves, "It's just some calligraphy and paintings, nothing special."
"Xuan paper, paperweight, and Huimo ink." Tan Er pointed out the items on the desk.
Lu Yuan placed his hands behind his back and looked around, "With so many mechanisms, there must be something hidden here."
Chen Long's feet grew warm again.
It was the little wolf pup peeing on his dragon boots once more.
Chen Long, at his wit's end, grabbed the little wolf pup.
"Don't move," Lu Yuan said.
Chen Long frowned, "What are you doing?"
Lu Yuan looked down at his feet.
The area where the little wolf pup's warm urine had been poured suddenly reflected a shadow.
Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened, and he pulled out a flying dagger from the wall, shooting it forcefully towards the entrance.
Clang! The flying dagger embedded itself in the wall of the secret passage.
Tan Er immediately followed, her senses heightened, but after looking around, she said, "There's no one here."
Lu Yuan also stepped out, gazing at the empty secret passage, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.
"Husband, brother, come and take a look," Meng Qianqian called out.
She had discovered a strange box behind the bookshelf, "Husband, doesn't this box seem familiar?"
Lu Yuan took a closer look, "It's exactly the same as the box the mysterious Twelve Guards gave to 'Lin Wan'er', and it also uses a concealed poetry lock."
"What's a concealed poetry lock?" Bai Yuwei asked.
Meng Qianqian explained, "Rotate the characters on the copper ring to form a poem, and that's a concealed poetry lock. However, the last time it was a five-character poem, and this time it's a seven-character poem."
There were seven copper rings, each with ten characters, making it much more complex than the box the Twelve Guards had given to 'Lin Wan'er'.
For some reason, Meng Qianqian couldn't help but think of the disfigured man she had encountered during the Autumn Hunt.
When she fell off the cliff, he had saved her once.
When she was shot by a cold arrow, although she didn't see who it was, Meng Qianqian felt that it must have been him who saved her.
Was he the same person who gave the box to 'Lin Wan'er', leading the Ministry of Punishment to investigate the truth through Lin Wan'er, and one of the Twelve Guards?
What was the significance of him giving an empty box?
Was it to let them understand the concealed poetry lock in advance?
Or was he telling them that the Chancellor's secret was hidden in the box with the concealed poetry lock?
"It's open," Meng Qianqian said.
By the time she finished her thoughts, Lu Yuan had already unlocked the seven-character poetry lock.
Bai Yuwei struggled to read, "Wei, lan, Yao, Hou, Qi, Yi, Jin? What kind of poem is this?"
Meng Qianqian was also puzzled, she didn't dare to say she had extraordinary talent, but she had indeed read many books, and she had never heard of such a poem, it couldn't even be called a poem.
She looked at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan explained, "Taking the first character of each line: 'Wei wang gu zhi de shi xi, lan si wei zhi suo shang. Yao shun sheng er ci ren xi, hou shi cheng er fu wang. Qi huan shi yu zhuan ren xi, Yi Wu zhong er ming zhang, Jin xian huo yu jing ji xi'."
Bai Yuwei was dumbfounded, "Is this even possible?"
She wasn't sure whether to say the Chancellor was too cunning or Lu Yuan was too clever.
Meng Qianqian's eyes shone with admiration, "Husband, you're amazing!"
Chen Long's face darkened.
Lu Yuan took out the key from the box, found the lock hidden behind the bookshelf, and opened it, retrieving a thick booklet.
A smile played on his lips, "The evidence is in hand."
(End of Chapter)
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