Tianliangyuan

Chapter 413 It's all bullshit

"Your Majesty, during the interrogation, I discovered something unusual. I then ordered a secret investigation and found a man named Li Ye, aged twelve, in Yongye Ward, who was addressed as the young master. I then led my men to surround him, but he resisted fiercely. With the help of Prince Xu, I finally managed to capture him."

At this point, Zhao Changqing handed over the confession in his hand, and he truly dared not say anything more.

The other ministers exchanged glances, clearly noticing that Zhao Changqing had not finished speaking.

Is there something you can't say?

Could it be a royal secret?

They were right; it really was a royal secret.

Where is Li Ye now?

"Your Majesty, they are currently imprisoned in the government jail. To prevent them from colluding and to avoid being silenced, I have assigned heavy guards to watch over them and have them kept in solitary confinement."

"Yes, someone, order Xu Jun'an to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison and bring Li Ye here."

"Yes."

Emperor Yong'an circulated the confession to several ministers: "You should all take a look. There are doubts about Li Ye's identity. Should we investigate it? And if we do, how should we deal with him? You ministers, think it over carefully."

Qu Shiji grasped the key point in an instant: should we verify it?

After reading the confession, he understood His Majesty's intention.

“Your Majesty, based on the timeline, it is impossible for Prince Fu to have been in the capital at that time. Therefore, the claim that Li Ye is the son of Prince Fu is unreliable. Even if he is of Prince Fu’s blood, the fact that Prince Fu attempted to assassinate you under the guise of hunting back then is undeniable, and Li Ye would still be doomed.”

The other ministers understood the implied meaning immediately.

Regardless of the circumstances, Prince Fu was His Majesty's younger brother. In the assassination attempt, Prince Fu was executed, and his sons were either killed or exiled.

But in reality, just a few years ago, all of Prince Fu's bloodlines died, including his daughter.

Whether it was death from illness, an accident, or something else, in short, the Prince of Fu's bloodline is gone, which can be considered as removing a major worry from His Majesty's mind.

If this Li Ye is indeed the son of the Prince of Fu, then things are indeed a bit difficult.

Since more than a decade has passed, if this Li Ye is indeed the son of the Prince of Fu, should His Majesty pardon his crimes?

If we do not pardon them, it would make Your Majesty appear narrow-minded and too heartless.

But if His Majesty is pardoned, I'm afraid he himself will feel uncomfortable.

Because of that assassination attempt, one of His Majesty's sons was seriously injured. Although he survived, he was weakened by the injury and therefore rarely appeared in public.

How could His Majesty not be angry when his own son almost lost his life?

Therefore, all of Prince Fu's children died. Regardless of whether His Majesty did it or not, no one dared to step forward and accuse him, unless they didn't want to live anymore.

Besides, those people didn't die suddenly, so who would think of His Majesty?

Xu Jun'an brought Li Ye into the palace and was then ordered to wait outside the hall.

Emperor Yong'an carefully examined Li Ye's appearance. He did indeed find some resemblance to Prince Fu in his youth, but to conclude that he was Prince Fu's son based solely on this was rather hasty.

"Your name is Li Ye?"

Li Ye had never seen such a scene before, and he was naturally trembling with fear, his eyes darting around, and he was at a loss for what to do.

How could such a timid boy be regarded as a young master by the former subordinates of Prince Fu?

Is he still thinking of finding another opportunity to kill him so that he can help this young man take the throne?

Emperor Yong'an narrowed his eyes, feeling as if the person in front of him was a fool.

Do you know who your father is?

Li Ye spoke incoherently and stammered, and in the end, Emperor Yong'an lost his patience and ordered Xu Jun'an to send him back to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison.

"I think this person may resemble the Prince of Fu in appearance, but his courage is really lacking. Moreover, if he is truly a descendant of the Prince of Fu and has the support of many of his former subordinates, he should know his identity beforehand. How could he possibly behave so improperly!"

Listen and listen.

The ministers understood that His Majesty was denying Li Ye's true parentage.

"Your Majesty believes that this child must be an imposter from the common people. They must be colluding with some bandits to deceive the people and create momentum for themselves. Their intentions are despicable!"

With Qu Shiji leading the way, it became easier for the others to speak.

"Your Majesty, I believe this young man is an imposter. As for his intentions, I think he is probably trying to swindle money and goods like others."

Zhao Changqing's eyes darted around quickly, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I also thought it was fake. When I went to arrest him, the people around him didn't seem to be trained by a regular army. They did have the style of martial arts practitioners. In addition, I noticed that he was also associating with some small merchants who didn't have much vision. Perhaps, as you gentlemen have said, they were just trying to scam food and drink for free."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yong'an straightened his back even more.

"If that's the case, then let Zhao Changqing handle the interrogation. He must find out exactly how he deceived people and whether he had any accomplices who helped him in his fraud."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Having received the imperial decree, Zhao Changqing naturally knew what to do next.

After returning to the government office, Zhao Changqing was still thinking about the riot. So far, only the son-in-law Cui Chong had been reprimanded, but Prince Xu, Magistrate Liu Qi, and he himself had rendered meritorious service.

With the capture of this person, his importance in His Majesty's eyes will likely increase. He may not be expected to be promoted immediately, but at least he has given His Majesty hope.

This Prince Xu, uh, no, I should say Princess Anle, is truly a lucky star.

He heard from Prince Xu that Princess Anle had instructed him to investigate thoroughly, especially the foreign merchants. That's how he uncovered some shady dealings. Otherwise, the entire capital would be in chaos, and he would be the first one His Majesty would vent his anger on!

Zhao Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. In the future, he would have to keep his eyes open in the court. His Majesty was a rare and wise ruler.

When a wise ruler governs the world, capable ministers will display their talents, and there is no need for them to be timid or hesitant.

Zhao Changqing thought about his position, which was extremely important. If he were not a trusted minister of His Majesty, he would never have been able to sit in this position.

It seems that Liu Qi has already made a name for himself with His Majesty several times. If I am promoted one day, I will most likely hand over this position to Liu Qi.

Being an official means serving the court and working for the well-being of the people, but the prerequisite is to plan for one's own future. Otherwise, if one loses one's official robes or even one's life, what ambitions or aspirations can one have?

It's all bullshit!

After thinking things through, Zhao Changqing immediately went in to interrogate Li Ye and his subordinates. This matter had to be handled perfectly, otherwise, His Majesty would lose face.

Xu Zhaozhao returned to the Marquis's residence, and on her way back, she made a special trip to the alley where Li Ye had been arrested.

Li Ye was arrested, and Xu Zhaozhao received the news shortly afterward.

She couldn't believe that the orphan of the Prince of Fu, who had been hidden for more than ten years, could surface so easily.