A Clash of Gods - Chapter 818

[Chapter 809]

Sima Lan’s face was expressionless, but Sima Changshen had already said in a deep voice, “Your Highness, who are you referring to as a traitor?”

Everyone knows that the most important official in the court is Ma Lan of the Zhenguo Company. Everyone knows that many memorials in the court are transferred from Sima Lan to the palace. At this time, the king of Huainan claimed that there were treacherous officials blocking the Holy Ting. The first thing that comes to people’s mind is naturally Ma Lan of Zhenguo Company.

Su Zhen also changed color, and said anxiously, “Your Highness, it’s the sacrificial ceremony right now, let’s still…!”

“Marquis of Wuxiang, you are also one of the four hereditary marquis of the Chu state. You are deeply favored by the state and have a traitorous official in the state. Do you want to be wise and protect your life?” The king of Huainan said solemnly: “The sacrifice ceremony is naturally to pray to the ancestors for national prosperity and peace. Now that there are treacherous officials in the state of Chu and the government is chaotic, my great Chu is at stake, if I can’t clear the side of the monarch in front of the ancestors’ spirit, what is the benefit of this sacrificial ceremony?”

Qi Ning looked at the indifferent expression of King Huainan and secretly sighed.

He knew that something big would happen at the sacrificial ceremony today, but he didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, and the King of Huainan was ruthless.

Su Zhen opened his mouth, but was speechless.

“Your Majesty, it was not easy for our ancestors to conquer this country.” King Huainan sighed: “You are the emperor, I am also the royal blood, and even your uncle. Uncle Wang may not have the ability, but if you see someone wanting to mess with you. If I want to take care of the Jiangshan Sheji of Great Chu, that is absolutely impossible to promise, even if I fight for my life, I want to keep the peace of my country in Great Chu.”

The ministers paled, and they all knew in their hearts that today’s affairs were irreconcilable.

The water and fire dispute between the King of Huainan and Sima Lan has long been known to everyone. In fact, many people understand that the conflict between the two is now intensifying, and there will never be a way out of such a fight. People can only be immortal, so many people even guessed that sooner or later, the two would confront each other directly, setting off a drastic change in the court.

It’s just that no one thought that the King of Huainan would suddenly attack during the sacrificial ceremony.

Sima Changshen sneered: “King Huainan, you keep saying that there are traitors in the court, who are you referring to?”

The King of Huainan also smiled coldly, did not answer Sima Changshen’s words, and said to Longtai: “Your Majesty, I ask your Majesty to deal with this case in public, so that you can give an account to Taizu Taizong and the previous emperor.”

Yuan Lao Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites frowned and said: “My lord, the ceremony of sacrifice is not a child’s play. Now is the auspicious time, and the rituals of sacrifice must not be neglected in the slightest. If the case is decided at such a time, this… This seems to be inappropriate.”

“Yuan Lao Shangshu, you are an old minister of our state of Chu. You have learned from the ancients and the present, and you have learned a lot.” The King of Huainan sighed: “You should understand that if the country is uneasy, the etiquette system will be relaxed. Only the country is prosperous and the people are safe. If you are in the Tao, if you can’t get rid of the evil and keep the right, what is the benefit of this sacrificial ceremony?”

The Minister of Punishment Qian Raoshun bowed to the ground and said loudly, “I urge the emperor to cut off this case and make the world clear and innocent!”

On the contrary, Longtai calmed down at the moment and asked, “Uncle Wang, how do you think I should judge this case?”

“Your Majesty, the confession is here, and the three halls testify against each other. Naturally, the truth will be revealed.” The King of Huainan said sternly.

Long Tai pondered for a while before saying, “Give the confession to Duke Zhen Guo for a look.”

Qian Raoshun picked up the confession with both hands, got up, walked to Sima Lan, and presented the confession to him. Sima Lan was calm, took the confession, glanced at it, still expressionless, Longtai glanced at it, said: : “Gong Zhenguo, is the confession true or false?”

Sima Lan sighed: “If you want to add a crime, there is nothing to worry about. Your Majesty, a mere confession can prove that the Hu Bowen case was instigated by an old minister, which is too absurd.”

Qi Ning hadn’t seen the confession, but he had already guessed a few points, knowing that the confession was definitely not good for Sima Lan.

Hu Bowen and Liang Xiong acted in embarrassment and deliberately sabotaged the mission to Dongqi. Although Qi Ning exposed his conspiracy, in the end, Hu Bowen never confessed who was behind the instructions.

Now it seems that Hu Bowen’s confession should point the real murderer behind the scenes to Sima Lan.

But Qi Ning was deeply suspicious of whether the confession was true or false. After all, the Hu Bowen case was later handed over to the Ministry of Punishment, and it was well known to the whole court that Qian Raoshun of the Ministry of Punishment belonged to the King of Huainan. If the King of Huainan ordered Qian Rao It wasn’t too difficult to point the finger at Sima Lan in this case.

The King of Huainan had already laughed and said, “Your Majesty, it is natural that such a serious case cannot be settled with a single confession. He also asked the Emperor to summon Hu Bowen, the sinner, and let him tell the Emperor the truth of the matter in person.”

“Hu Bowen is here?” Longtai frowned.

The king of Huainan said: “Qian Shangshu has already sent people to escort Hu Bowen to the imperial tomb, and he can be summoned at any time.”

As soon as this remark came out, the ministers were stunned, thinking that everything today was planned by the king of Huainan. Since Hu Bowen has been escorted over, it is of course planned by the king of Huainan to investigate the case of Hu Bowen in the sacrificial ceremony. , Since the King of Huainan dared to attack the first powerful minister of the dynasty on the sacrificial ceremony, he was naturally prepared. Today’s affairs are obviously not good.

Some active ministers could not help but look around. The guards under the sacrificial altar were the elite warriors led by Chi Fengdian. Right now, all the monarchs, ministers and officials are under the protection of Yulin Camp. Under the control of Yulin Camp.

Many people know that Chi Fengdian has a great relationship with the Jindao Tantai family, and the Jindao Tantai family supported the King of Huainan back then. If Chi Fengdian, because of the Jindao Tantai family, moved closer to the King of Huainan today. , then the situation of the Sima family can be said to be extremely dangerous.

Although the Black Sabre Battalion of the Sima family was surprisingly powerful, it was not inferior to Yulin Battalion, but Yulin Battalion was the only one guarding the sacrificial ceremony.

The emperor hadn’t spoken yet, but Sima Changshen had already said sternly: “Your Majesty, Qian Raoshun colluded with the King of Huainan, and wanted to harm our Sima family. I also asked the emperor to look into the situation and investigate thoroughly.”

“Loyalty is too heavy for a subordinate officer to bear.” Qian Raoshun immediately said: “A subordinate officer is loyal to Chu and the emperor, and every case handled is handled impartially and never dares to show favoritism. Bending the law.” Staring at Sima Changshen: “The Hou Zhongyi said that the subordinate officials colluded with the prince, but I don’t know where to start?”

The King of Huainan also sneered and said: “Sima Changshen, it seems that you are used to being domineering on weekdays. When the sky is clear, you will frame the minister of the Ministry of Punishment for colluding with this king. This great Chu is the world of your Sima family, what are you talking about? What is it?” His tone was full of chills.

Qi Ning was silent, but he could hear that King Huainan’s words were full of resentment, and seemed to have been held in his heart for a long time.

Sima Changshen was still waiting to argue, but Sima Lan said in a deep voice: “Shut up.” Without looking at King Huainan, he said to Longtai, “Sir, this old minister has served three monarchs successively since he followed Emperor Taizong to fight in the South and the North. , can also be regarded as an old minister of the three dynasties. When the old minister followed Emperor Taizong, he had already made an oath, and he would be loyal to the Great Chu in this life, even if he died without regret. Over the years, the old minister has worked hard day and night and dared not make any mistakes. Taizong and the former emperor’s Long En, although they are already old, they are doing my best, and I hope I can share the troubles for the emperor.”

There was silence all around, but there was disdain in the eyes of King Huainan.

“The old minister handles a lot of political affairs on weekdays. Although it is not a day-to-day management, the affairs are complicated. The old minister only has one heart, that is, no matter what, we must put the interests of my great Chu first, which will inevitably make many people’s hearts. I’m not happy.” Sima Lan sighed: “The old minister only wants to see Taizong and the first emperor in a hundred years, and be able to be worthy of his heart.” Looking at the confession in his hand, he said: “This confession says that the old minister ordered Hu Bowen to destroy the brocade and wait for it to come out. To make Dong Qi wholeheartedly want to stop ushering in Princess Tianxiang to become the queen of our great Chu, and even more to say that the old minister is selfish and wants to make Sima Wanqiong the queen of Chu. , speak in public.”

The King of Huainan said with a smile: “Your Majesty, since the old prince wants to clear his grievances in front of hundreds of officials, if he doesn’t summon Hu Bowen, it will make the old prince’s grievances impossible.”

Longtai pondered for a while before saying, “Call Hu Bowen.”

The King of Huainan gave Qian Raoshun a wink, Qian Raoshun immediately bowed and stepped back. , each has his own thoughts.

It didn’t take long for everyone to see Qian Raoshun coming back, followed by two armored warriors from Yulin Camp, who were holding a prisoner with shaggy hair and a shawl on the sacrificial altar. Slim in shape, with yellow face and thin muscles, anyone who knows it immediately recognizes it as Hu Bowen.

Yuan Lao Shangshu stood on the sacrificial platform, and when he saw Hu Bowen coming on the stage, his face suddenly became solemn. When Hu Bowen saw Yuan Lao Shangshu, he suddenly bowed slightly to the old Shangshu. Yuan Lao Shangshu sighed and shook his head. Only then did Hu Bowen walk forward. After two steps, he was grabbed by the Yulin Armor, pushed to the ground, and knelt down.

Qi Ning saw that in just a short period of time, this Hu Bowen seemed to have changed a person, his face was yellow and his muscles were thin, and he knew that he must have suffered a lot in prison.

“Your Excellency, the sinner Hu Bowen brought it here!” Qian Raoshun said respectfully.

Naturally, Longtai had already seen it, frowned slightly, and finally asked, “Hu Bowen, was that confession made by you? You confessed in your confession that Duke Zhen Guo ordered you to destroy the mission and go to Dongqi. Is there such a thing?”

Hu Bowen knelt on the ground, raised his head, and said: “Reporting to the sage, the sinful minister has received the grace of the Holy Spirit and followed Jinyi’s envoy to Dongqi. He originally wanted to serve the country wholeheartedly, but… the sinful minister was coerced by others and threatened. The sinful minister, if he does not act according to his command, the sinful minister will be doomed. The sinful minister is confused for a while and abolishes the public for personal reasons. This is the only way… This is why he took the risk and tried to destroy the mission and stop me, Chu and Dong. Get married.”

“So, what this confession said was your own confession?” Longtai said coldly.

Hu Bowen hesitated for a moment, then suddenly shouted: “Your Majesty, the sinner dare not deceive the emperor, this confession, the sinner… the sinner is also forced by others!”…