I dare not

The author has something to say: really?

The move of the third prince caught He Fangzhi and Ouyang Chigong by surprise. The two looked at each other. Just as Ouyang Chigong was about to speak, Li Detang, who was kneeling on the ground, cried, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I have..."

The emperor interrupted him, "Let's talk later, Gu Shiyi, tell me first, what did you find in the Li family courtyard?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Gu Qiao talked about what happened in Li's courtyard yesterday.

When Li Detang heard that his son had brought him there, he became dizzy, and when he heard that the Third Highness had sent someone to tear down the Jinsinan wooden house, his eyes turned black, his whole body shook, and he passed out on the ground.

At this time, Ouyang Chigong showed his ability to teach champions, and sharply denounced Li Detang's corruption, condemning him for guarding himself and stealing, concealing minerals to enrich himself, and calling him a moth of the country and a disgrace to the court.

Ouyang Chigong was originally a well-known literary giant in the country of Hao. At this time, he articulated his eloquence, quoted scriptures, and thoroughly analyzed the reasons and facts of Li Detang's corruption. The analysis was thorough and thought-provoking.

If it wasn't for Gu Qiao's prying into the truth, I'm afraid he would have already applauded for his wonderful speech!

Ouyang Chigong's brazenness really made people dumbfounded, He Fangzhi glanced at him inexplicably, and sneered almost imperceptibly.

The emperor sat on a high place and had a panoramic view of everyone's reactions.He still looked cold, noncommittal to Ouyang Chigong's passionate speech.

Doctor Yushi reported: "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to seize all assets of Li Detang to prevent his family members from transferring money."

"Well," said the emperor, "Let's go to Dali Temple to do it."

He Fangzhi frowned. The newly appointed Minister of Dali Temple is a guy who doesn't want to get in. If people are imprisoned in Dali Temple, they will have no chance to attack.

He immediately took a step forward and said: "Your Majesty, Li Detang's embezzlement and perverting the law have solid evidence and heinous crimes. He should be directly sent to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice."

Li Detang woke up leisurely at this time, just in time to hear that He Fangzhi was going to put him in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice.Shangshu of the Criminal Ministry is He Fangzhi's confidant. If he goes to the Ministry of Criminal Justice, he will be hanged tonight!

Doctor Yushi said: "According to the rules, officials who have not been formally interrogated can be temporarily detained at home, and they will be sent to Dali Temple after being formally interrogated."

It is not safe to be at home and may be killed at any time.

Li Detang burst into tears. He knew that now was the only chance for him to finish his sentence. He knelt and crawled forward, stopped in front of the steps, and said earnestly: "Please also ask your majesty to thoroughly investigate the Lianzhou gold mine. This matter is not up to me." One person can do it!"

The emperor waited patiently for him to cry for a while, "It wasn't your effort alone, so who else contributed?"

Li Detang sobbed and glanced at He Fangzhi, and this glance He Fangzhi understood his hint, which was to ask He Fangzhi to protect his family.

He Fangzhi nodded slightly, frowned and said, "If you have anything to say, you don't have to hide it from Your Majesty."

Li Detang took a deep breath, turned around and pointed at Ouyang Chigong and said, "It's the minister of the Ministry of Industry and now the minister of Zhongshu -- Ouyang Chigong!"

Being bitten right in front of his eyes, there was finally a crack on Ouyang Chigong's face.Just now, he looked at Li Detang and He Fangzhi coldly and knew it was going to be bad, but he did things very cleanly, and he didn't think he left any evidence.There is no evidence to convict him without evidence, he showed a little anger and said: "Jian Li is not going to spout blood, seeing that the general situation is over, just dragging a random person to be buried with him, this kind of trick can't be played in front of His Majesty! "

Li Detang squinted his eyes, stared into his eyes and said: "Just grab someone to be buried with you? Ouyang Chigong, do you dare to speak in front of all the ministers, in front of Gu Shiyi, in front of His Majesty! Tell me how Gu Zhiwei died back then!"

The other ministers turned their heads to look at Gu Qiao in shock.

Standing beside the third prince, Gu Qiao's body seemed to be frozen and tense, but her eyes were bloodshot staring at Ouyang Chigong.

Everyone present knew that ever since Gu Zhiwei passed away, Gu Qiao could be said to have been raised by Ouyang Chigong. If Gu Zhiwei's death was related to Ouyang Chigong, then Gu Qiao...

Ouyang Chigong made a sad expression, and sighed, "Gu Zhiwei is my best friend. Back then, he made a mistake in calculation and caused the mine to collapse and killed his apprentice, so he blamed himself for it. I also enlightened him, but It couldn’t be saved after all.”

Gu Qiao clenched his fists tightly, his nails dug into his flesh, the pain helped him maintain his composure for a moment.

Xiang Zenan wrapped his fist with a wide palm, separated his fingers one by one, and held them gently in his palm.Gu Qiao struggled for a while but did not break away, her clasped hands were covered under the wide sleeves of the two.

Li Detang was still kneeling on the ground, he straightened his upper body and said loudly: "It was Ouyang Chigong's idea to conceal the gold mine reserves! He also changed the blueprint that Gu Zhiwei submitted to the Ministry of Industry!!"

Ouyang Chigong sneered, "Li Jianzheng, didn't you come here to tell your majesty a joke, and I am the one who corrected the empty words?!"

Li Detang bowed to the emperor and said: "Ouyang Chigong was responsible for the collapse of the mine back then. He hired a field worker to blow up the mine after Gu Zhiwei's apprentice Wu Yong entered the mine, resulting in Wu Yong's death." .”

Brother Wu Yong...

Gu Qiao opened his eyes wide, and there was a fishy sweetness in his throat, but he endured it.

He was cold all over, only the hand held by Xiang Zenan kept warm.

Ouyang Chigong quickly caught the dangerous breath, he turned his head and looked at He Fangzhi with sharp eyes, He Fangzhi stood there leisurely, as if everything had nothing to do with him.

Li Detang said: "The field worker was still in Lianzhou back then, and he can come to Beijing to testify at any time!"

The blood on Ouyang Chigong's face faded instantly, and his body trembled uncontrollably, like falling into an ice cave.

He did it himself, and he also found the field worker.After the matter was settled, he gave the field worker a sum of money, and then immediately sent someone to kill him.

The only loophole in the matter was that he did not witness the death of the worker, because He Fangzhi was anxious to find him back to Beijing at that time.

It turned out to be the case.

For seven years, that worker hid in Lianzhou incognito, and it was He Fangzhi who arranged for him.

Ouyang Chigong calmed down, and his tone was no longer as calm as before: "Your Majesty, the minister was indeed in Lianzhou when Wu Yong died, but now it is too hasty to find a field worker who doesn't know where he came from to identify the minister. Yes! Your Majesty is dedicated to serving the country, and has been devoted to the country for so many years, please give me your Majesty's lesson!"

The emperor did not speak, and a needle could be heard in the imperial study for a while.

A trembling voice sounded: "Is it enough to keep denying?"

It was Gu Qiao who spoke in a low voice.

Ouyang Chigong frowned, subconsciously asked: "What?"

"I said," Gu Qiao held back her anger, and took two steps towards Ouyang Chigong: "Is it okay to keep denying it?! Teacher!!"

Ouyang Chigong was forced to retreat by his momentum: "What do you mean?"

Gu Qiao's eyes were red, and if the anger in his body had any substance, he put a layer of armor on him. He pressed on step by step, saying one step at a time: "I said, if you don't admit it, you will be fine, teacher? You just need to use Your three-inch tongue turns black into white, can you write off what you have done?! You have taught me for seven years, I respect and love you, and how do you take advantage of my trust? of? Teacher!"

Ouyang Chigong said: "I have never done anything wrong, how do you ask me to admit it?"

Gu Qiao nodded, "Okay!"

He turned to face the ministers, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and held it high in his hand, "This is the suicide note of my father, Gu Zhiwei. Knock down, so that I missed this clue, and I recognized the thief as my father for seven full years!"

After hearing Gu Qiao's words, everyone was in shock and wondered what clues were hidden in the suicide note seven years ago.

Gu Qiao said: "Ministers, please look at the suicide note in my hand. Throughout the text, there is a half-word blank at the end of each sentence as a sentence break. This is a habit developed in long-term study and teaching. And my father himself, It's not a habit."

He picked up his father's manuscript, casually flipped through a page full of words, "Please look!"

Zhang Zhilin, the provincial servant under the door, stood closest to him, stretched out his hand to compare the suicide note in his hand with Gu Zhiwei's manuscript, and said in surprise: "It really is so!"

Gu Qiao gritted his teeth and said, "Ouyang Chigong, my beloved teacher, my father's best friend! Although he has imitated my father's handwriting impeccably, it is difficult to change the habit that is deeply rooted in people's bones, so he is forging suicide notes At the time, this flaw was inevitably left."

While everyone was chattering and whispering, the emperor finally spoke. He picked up a memorial from the royal case and handed it to Zhai Renli, and said to the ministers, "Take it and have a look, Ouyang Chigong's memorial."

Zhai Renli held the memorial in both hands, and walked down the steps to show the ministers one by one.

"Indeed."

"It really is like this!"

"I didn't expect it..."

There is also a point of concern that is completely off the mark, "As expected of Ouyang Chigong, the imitation of handwriting is really flawless!"

"Ouyang Chigong," said the emperor, "what else do you have to say?"

Ouyang Chigong took a few steps back in exhaustion, the muscles on his face trembled uncontrollably, he looked at He Fangzhi with red eyes, "I..."

He Fangzhi shook his head, "Ouyang, you should confess your sins in front of His Majesty and the ministers. I beg the emperor to be merciful and forgive your family members for the sake of your ten years as an official."

Ouyang Chigong and He Fangzhi have been friends for more than ten years, so he naturally knows He Fangzhi's methods best, but if he confesses He Fangzhi, no one in the He family will be left alive.He swayed for a while, managed to stabilize his figure, glanced at Gu Qiao who was already in tears, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

"What did you say?"

"I'm sorry!" Ouyang Chigong raised his voice.

Gu Qiao's silent tears kept gushing out of his eyes, dripping on the vermilion carpet in the imperial study, smearing dots one by one, he lost control of his sobs and shouted: "The person you are sorry for is not me, but you. The subordinate who trusts you wholeheartedly, has never doubted you, obeys you, your best friend, Gu Zhiwei!"

A mist floated in Ouyang Chigong's widened pupils, and soon dissipated.What dissipated along with him was the arrogance he had cultivated over the years. In just a short moment, he suddenly aged 20 years.

The emperor had seen enough of the drama, and waved his hands to take Ouyang Chigong and Li Detang away.

"My dear friends, do you have anything else to say?"

Doctor Yushi said: "Your Majesty, this case is very involved. In addition to the Ministry of Industry and the Shaofu Supervisor, there are also mines far away in Lianzhou, officials from the household department who are sent to check accounts every year, and some local officials in Lianzhou. There may be more than a hundred officials who arrived."

"More than a hundred people must be investigated, and everyone involved must be found out. I will not allow such a thing to happen under my nose! Strict investigation and severe punishment!"

After the emperor finished speaking, he left, leaving behind a group of people who were still in shock. When they looked at each other, they seemed to suspect that the other party was also involved.

Not long after, everyone left the imperial study with their own concerns, only Gu Qiao was still standing there.

Xiang Zenan walked over and held his shoulder, calling him softly, "Gu Qiao."

The tears on Gu Qiao's face were still wet, and after searching for a long time, she finally saw the person. She called out "Your Highness", but unexpectedly, a mouthful of blood gushed out.