The first work of the imperial prison

In Ye Baiting's memory, the winter was very cold that year, and his father Ye Junang returned to Beijing with his whole family.

"Through the wind and snow all the way, my father took care of my mother and sister, as well as my body when I was young, and walked very slowly, but now I think he must be a little anxious, because he returned to Beijing at that time. Come back, wait for a new assignment, and the last task you receive seems to be to escort the official silver along the way."

Ye Baiting's eyebrows drooped slightly, and he thought carefully: "That day, when we traveled to the outskirts of Beijing, my father originally arranged for me to go back to the city with my mother and sister. He was a little slower, because he had to hand over the task, and he would go home at dawn at the latest. But I think it is very pitiful for my father to stay outside alone, and he will not let him go, even if he does not leave, he insists on following."

"I was not in good health when I was young, but I was not bad that winter. After a few years of recuperation, I became much stronger and my firepower was strong. My father was worried that if I clung to me for a longer period of time and cried more uncomfortable, it would affect my physical condition even more. Leave me, take me with you..."

"He has to slow down because the ice and snow are too thick, the road is difficult to walk, and there are too many official banknotes, which are too heavy to be deposited. However, he has already sent someone back to the city to apply at the official office, and someone will come to pick him up soon. I was still young at the time, and I couldn’t understand adults’ words. I was just obsessed with playing in the snow, and my father stayed with me all the time. But later, when I got sleepy from playing, he carried me back to the car and fell asleep, in a daze. I heard movement outside the carriage... a woman was speaking to my father."

"I don't remember much about what was said, but that voice was very pleasant, like spring rain, very gentle, and it was obviously scary..."

Ye Baiting thought for a while: "Tell me that I encountered some difficult situation and provoked my enemies to chase me. I didn't ask for anything other than borrowing my father's carriage to hide for a while... This was a very scary thing for me at the time. But she was not particularly nervous when she spoke, her voice was not high, unlike those people outside, who kowtowed and cried when begging my father to do something, for fear that it would not be miserable enough, as if my father would not agree, she seemed to have guessed me Sleeping in the carriage, don't want to disturb..."

Shen Jiang understood what he said, and his eyes widened: "Could it be that the woman is the eldest princess, and the child she is carrying is the commander?"

Ye Baiting also turned to Qiu Yiqing.

But Qiu Yiqing shook his head: "If it was indeed my mother that you met at that time, then the child who followed her was not me, but the emperor."

Ye Baiting: "Your Majesty?"

"When the emperor and I were found by my mother, we were already in deep trouble. The emperor was injured. I was so angry that I didn't discuss it with my mother. Another direction."

Qiu Xunqing explained: "It seems that the situation was very dangerous at that time, and I had to do this, but why it was so dangerous... I can't remember."

Shen Jiang punched his palm: "Then I know! Why is the third prince so sure that the emperor is the son of the eldest princess? Is it because he saw it at that time!"

"Or heard what the eldest princess 'admitted' herself."

There was a glint in Ye Baiting's eyes: "If the people who were present back then were really you and us, the third prince was hiding in the dark, and the eldest princess came out of the mountain, her identity is not easy to reveal. You are not in front of me, and the emperor is still young and needs protection. The Eldest Princess didn't want to disturb anyone who had nothing to do with her, so she didn't say who she was, she only said that the people around her were her sons, but the Third Prince took it seriously..."

He looked at Qiu Yiqing and never expected that there would be such a fate in such a long past.

Qiu Yiqing also looked at him: "So the official bank...is lost?"

"Probably." Ye Baiting nodded, thoughtfully, "After I played in the snow, I slept in the carriage the whole time. When I woke up, the big box of official money was gone, and I didn't see any official people coming over. Handover, there are not many people around, still strange, I asked my father, my father smiled and told me that the handover has been completed, don't worry about me, a little baby..."

Looking at it now, it is obvious that there is none, so the unknown whereabouts of this batch of money has become the only stain on my father and evidence of corruption.

The father didn't explain in prison, because he couldn't explain it?Did he not know the identity of the eldest princess, or did he take what the eldest princess said seriously, thinking that the emperor's life experience was doubtful, and then when he met Emperor Yu'an in the Golden Palace, he dared not mention what happened back then, let alone mention it?

"If that's the case...the emperor and I are sorry for you." Qiu Yiqing pursed his lips tightly.

Ye Baiting shook his head, but still felt that the logic was a bit inconsistent.

My father has been an official for many years, and he doesn't like the unspoken rules of officialdom, but he may not be dull and straightforward. He doesn't want to stay in the capital. He has been an official outside all the year round. In fact, he has given up a central circle and connections, but he has given up so much. , can still be an official for so long, and the transfers after resigning and returning to Beijing are still very smooth, which is enough to show his strength, he is very smart.

In heavy snow and cold weather, in the wilderness, seeing a mother and son of unknown origin, there must be compassion, but it is impossible to abandon rational cognition and vigilance to the environment, not to mention that he was not only accompanied by his young son , and the official bank escorted with him.

The eldest princess lived a poor life in the temple, and she may not be rich in dress, but a person's upbringing, behavior habits, temperament and conversation cannot be hidden. How much can my father believe and analyze her words?

Ye Baiting thought that his father's decision to help should be the result of careful consideration.

He probably guessed a lot and realized a lot.

Ye Baiting had seen his father's handwriting from his sister, and many correspondences, and was dispatched by Beizhen Fusi to read his father's handwriting, and his experiences over the years... can be regarded as knowing him a little bit.

Ye Junang is a somewhat idealistic person. Even in troubled times, he still has endless expectations for the future. He is well aware of Dazhao's shortcomings, and he also knows that he is a civil servant. He was a minister with enough talent, but the court at that time couldn't see him at all.

The harem is full of turmoil, and power has become a tool for fighting with each other. The princes are also impetuous, gloomy or conceited, and can't see the slightest possibility of the future. He doesn't want to be an official in the capital because he hates the unspoken rules of officialdom, and it is also a kind of escape , he does not recognize the era of the first emperor from the bottom of his heart, he feels sad in his heart, and fears that the society will collapse in the future.

Then seeing the eldest princess at that time and Emperor Yu'an who was still the prince, would you feel that this is the only chance of survival?

Or, the eldest princess let him see this kind of vitality?

When communicating between smart people, sometimes you don’t need to speak too much, you can see through a lot of things at a glance, and you can understand everything in a few words——Although the eldest princess is a woman, her character is insightful, which can be seen. You can't go wrong, kid.

Father may have chosen a big gamble back then, betting on his own vision and Dazhao's future.

As for why you didn't say it later...

Ye Baiting thought, it might be because of his loyalty to the emperor, he is a person with integrity, he thinks that he did something wrong after all, rhymes with the disappearance of the official bank, he must be responsible, deep in his heart, he thinks that even if he has to, He was also at fault, so he was imprisoned, and he would not talk about this past.

He believes that being locked up and sentenced to several years in prison is the punishment he should bear.

But he didn't expect that the situation would turn around suddenly. He Yiming's sudden betrayal made him realize that the case would not stop there. He might implicate his family, so he wanted to find someone to intercede, but he couldn't bring himself to speak...

After Ye Baiting finished speaking, the room was quiet for a long time before Shen Jiang weakly raised his hand: "Then, the emperor should know Mr. Ye, why..."

Even if officials have been working abroad for a long time, they still have time to return to the capital to report on their duties. It must be in the period of the late emperor. Forget it. The late emperor had no time to see these people. However, Emperor Yu'an has always been diligent in government affairs since he ascended the throne. It is impossible to ignore this kind of thing. Must have seen it.

Qiu Yiqing: "That night...the emperor was injured and was carried back to the mountain by my mother. Whether he was conscious at the time and knew all this...you have to ask him."

"or……"

Ye Baiting also sighed: "My father accidentally ate something on the way home that year, and developed a rash all over his body. Although he had already taken medicine and healed up, the rash on his face did not completely disappear... It would also affect his health. Impressed by others."

On the other hand, the emperor was still young at that time, so he may not remember it when he grows up.

After this night, no matter because of the conflict between men and women or the nature of the incident, it is impossible for the father and the eldest princess to meet again, and they will not even inquire about each other's news. unique difficulties...

But the result of the father is obviously much better than that of the eldest princess. He must have thought of some ways to manage it, and found a suitable reason for the disappearance of the escort silver, and was not accused. Until later, He Yiming...

"The third prince did it on purpose."

Ye Baiting pondered: "He was not very old at the time, either because he was sensitive and remembered a lot of things, or he was reminded by someone that he would never forget what happened that night. At that time, he had targeted my family early and bewitched He Yiming... step by step, he caused so many tragedies and brought us so much trouble."

"So what happened in that year, how did the official bank get lost, what did the third prince do at that age, and why were the Wala people there?"

"I don't know," Qiu Yiqing still regretted the injury at the back of his head. "I just remember that I chased the Wala people for a while. Their carriage was heavy, and a box was not tightly closed. It was opened during the bumps, revealing I got the official silver."

"Hmph," Shen Jiang slapped the table, "It's needless to say, it must be a joint! The third prince and Wala must have hooked up at that time, they want to make big things, and they want to cooperate and rebel! I said why the blue bird is so Awesome, as for the eighth prince of Wala, he can't even do anything for the third prince, he was used around by others, and he even found out the poison on our commander's body, and it's rooted here!"

This makes sense.

Ye Baiting thought for a while, and then said: "I remember... the clues we got before, that the third prince didn't live very well in his early years, it seemed that no one took care of him, he couldn't eat well, and when he was sick, he had to struggle to make medicine for himself , almost burned the house down, and got scars on your body?"

Hatred and suspicion: "Yes, we can draw similar conclusions from the habits and disposition of the third prince. He may not have had a good childhood."

Ye Baiting also analyzed this point: "So he was sent out, and he was not raised well? There is no confidant around him?"

"Maybe..." The blue eyes of hatred flickered slightly, "There was an accident in the process of sending it out."

For example, if someone lost something... the people in the palace will definitely not be reconciled and will want to find it, but this matter cannot be done in a fair manner, it can only be done quietly. He was also imprisoned, and all he could see every day was the small piece of sky above his head, and his hands stretched out, which must be very difficult.

That's why the third prince had a hard life in the early years, and then he made a fortune... The rebellion also came so late, because too much time wasted in the process of finding him.

Ye Baiting continued to analyze: "The formation of a person's character is mostly reflected in the growth stage of childhood. The influence of different experiences, through the fermentation of inner emotions, will form a variety of different personalities... The third prince was displaced in his early years and did not know his identity. I have had a hard life, and I may have some low self-esteem, and I must have dreamed more than once, that great luck will fall on me, and it will change the world."

Ordinary people would have similar emotional fantasies, but the third prince was different, he had really obtained it, he had been found.

"When he was found, he must be very happy. Since then, he has no worries about food and clothing, and has a lot of wealth, but soon, he will find that it is different. Although the life before was hard, it was very free. No one asked him to do it. Anything, he can arrange himself as he likes. After being found, he will definitely be corrected and asked to get rid of those "problems" that are not on the table, because he will be a person who will do big things in the future. Rules, you still have to learn a lot of things, academic etiquette, and Shi Tongming... And because of his sensitive identity, he can no longer appear in front of outsiders casually like before, he needs to hide deeper, let alone see the light."

Ye Baiting recalled that night on the boat: "He tricked me away and came to see me in the prince's clothes. At first, he looked like that, with an elegant posture and a gentleman's modesty. Without long-term training and self-discipline, he would never have done that. It seemed natural, but after a while, his waist began to slump, his back arched, and his feet began to curl up... These natural habits without intentional stretching are the most comfortable state for him. Subconsciously, he may not like this. Set the rules and fight."

"When he was found, he must have gone through such a process of confrontation. He found that the big pie hit his head. He may have no worries about food and clothing. He gained a lot, but he also lost a lot. Life is not as wonderful as imagined. , restrained, restrained, restrained... He is at an age that is already sensible and not very sensible, and it is almost inevitable to resist rebellion."

Ye Baiting thought that the third prince might have strongly expressed his dissatisfaction, tested the other party's bottom line little by little, and then found that the other party could only urge him and use his words, but did not dare to do anything to hurt him, so he became more and more courageous , his thinking is getting more and more biased, he can't change some rules, and he can't bear to push away the pie on his head, so can he use other things to vent and resolve the negative emotions these things bring to him?

Like...doing something bad.

And they are going to do bad things in the first place, and others have asked him to become stronger, wiser, and give up all unnecessary soft-heartedness. Isn't this just going in the right direction?

Qiu Su's green brows are serious: "But back then, he was still too young."

Ye Baiting nodded: "That's right, it's still too young."

If it were changed today, the third prince wanted to do bad things, and he would be able to plan more easily when he did what he did 13 years ago, but he was still too young back then, it was purely provocative to vent his emotions, many things would not be well thought out, Show your feet.

He guessed that the third prince must have done something inappropriate back then, which caused a lot of trouble. It just so happened that Qiu Yiqing and the emperor came to the foot of the mountain for fun. The eldest princess was worried and came out to look for it. ... Time has collided, everyone is smart, it is difficult to see the leopard, see the whole picture of the incident, and can only solve the troubles that can be seen.

"The third prince may not have had a very good experience in the incident that year, so he remembers it deeply."

"Not only did he want to drag us all into the water, but he also wanted to avenge the past."

Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing talked to each other, even though there was no more evidence, they quickly analyzed what probably happened that year.

Shen Jiang's eyes stared straight, this...how do you know it again!What key information did he miss!Why didn't he figure it out!

Qiu Xunqing has already made a decisive decision and made a decision on the next work: "What happened back then needs to be investigated clearly. I don't remember it. There are others. The emperor was also injured when it happened. I'm not sure how much he remembers. Remind him to recall that at the moment, we can focus on the case itself first, as long as we solve it, we should find a lot."

Compared with what happened back then, the murder case has collected more clues. If one can be sorted out, the other will not be able to escape.

Ye Baiting nodded in agreement: "Things of that year are indeed important, but don't be impatient. Whether I, you or the emperor, are not too old, and too many years have passed, even if I can really think of something, the memory may not be so clear, not as good as ours." Investigate the case first, check the clues of the year, find a large number of clues, and then compare with the memory, but it is not easy to make mistakes."

Hatred and green jaws: "Yes."

Shen Jiang rubbed his hands: "Then I'll do it! One sheep is also chased, and two sheep are also released. Isn't it just to visit and find clues? Look at me! I will do it! I have already gone 13 steps ahead, I don't believe it. In the end, we can’t get to the bottom of this point! We Jin Yiwei can find out whether the current murder case is a secret matter [-] years ago!"

"Thanks a lot."

"What's the matter, what should be done!"

Shen Jiang stood up and was about to leave when he paused again: "I forgot to mention something, that female officer Yin Mengqiu, I feel a little bit wrong, but she is too smart, even if you have already got a definite answer in your heart, she can still get it right Say something else, make you doubt that this is true, and shake again, whether she has ever conceived a child... I feel like it, but I can't be sure, we have to find a way to find some evidence."

"Well," Ye Baiting raised her eyebrows, "She is indeed a smart person, so I can't blame you for this."

Qiu Xunqing: "Your feeling is already very useful. I will send someone else if I find evidence to confirm it."

"Then I'll go first?"

"Go."

Shen Jiang's figure left, and Ye Baiting's brain was still spinning. They couldn't be led by others, they had to follow their own pace, not to mention that the third prince obviously cared about this case, and started to make a lot of noise and tricks, even if the third prince didn't care, they would To break.

The extra child in the coffin of the court lady Lan Lu... whose is it?Has Imperial Concubine You ever conceived?

Before he could stop his thoughts, he raised his head and saw Qiu Yiqing's eyes.

His eyes are deep, as thick as ink.

"what happened?"

He was a little puzzled, but Qiu Yiqing held his hand: "If I knew that the little doll in the car was you, I would definitely follow."

Ye Baiting raised his eyebrows: "Then we encountered danger together?"

Qiu Suiqing: ...

Ye Baiting knew what he was thinking, her eyebrows drooped slightly, and her voice was soft: "Since I was a child, my father said to me the most, that no matter what kind of person I choose to be in the future, I should be responsible for my choices and be responsible."

Escape and self-comfort can only make you feel less sad at that moment, and it does not mean that the matter is resolved. What you escape will definitely reappear at a certain time in the future, forcing you to face it squarely.

Facing the crisis, Ye Junang made his own choice. If this matter is finally found out, he will feel that "it is true", this is the punishment he deserves. If this matter has not been found out, he may feel a little tormented in his heart ,but--

"He won't regret it. Because it was his choice and he wanted to do it."

For Dazhao's future, but also for his inner belief.

Qiu Yiqing: "Father-in-law... is admirable."

He did not resist or defend in prison, and kept silent. He had faintly expressed regret in the letters he had sent to previous years, and it was obvious what he wanted to protect.

What he protects are the secrets of the eldest princess and the emperor, Dazhao's future, and his inner ideals.

Neither of them spoke, and there was no need to speak. They both understood what each other was thinking.

The room was quiet for a long time.

There was the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, it was Jin Yiwei's messenger, Ye Baiting could hear such a sound whenever he was in urgent need of a commander.

"There are still a lot of things to do outside, you go first."

"Ah."

Qiu Yiqing let go of Ye Baiting's hand, got up and went out, he did not have much time to stay.

But when he reached the door, he strode back again, grabbed Ye Baiting's waist with his big hands, and leaned over to kiss.

"...I'm sorry." His kiss melted with sunshine, hot and gentle, "I will cherish you well."

Ye Baiting pushed his shoulder: "Let's go."

……

The afternoon is hot and the cicadas are singing. Some people can't sleep even after taking a nap, while others don't feel like taking a nap.

Ye Baiting didn't stay in Beizhen Fusi for a long time, after sorting out the files and documents on the table, he asked if there were any updates sent, he got up and went to Zhuzhilou.

This murder case involved too many past events many years ago, but few people know the inside story, because it has been cleaned up round after round, and the facts that can be found may also have a lot of fabricated elements. He wants to ask his sister if he has any opinions on some things Without memory, will you know something.

"... 13 years ago, I really don't remember much," Ye Baishao was looking at the new mountain products, "I was not young at that time, and when the years passed, my parents would talk to me about my relationship, Whether it is the agreement between my father and the caravan, or the young man in the capital, I don’t want it, and I am tossing about all kinds of ways every day, and I am so annoying, how can I care about other things?”

"Our father is silent occasionally, and seems to have a sad face, but when he was an official outside, he encountered difficulties in the same way, and didn't I tell you? Father is smart and hardworking, and he is rarely really troubled by things. I can come up with new ideas, even if I am very tired and difficult outside, when I come back, won’t I still have you?”

Ye Baishao looked at his younger brother: "I don't know why you are so good at calling daddy loudly, running over in small steps, and sometimes you can even run and fall without crying, and get up without crying. He didn't even care about taking pictures, and continued to run towards his father, opened his hands, and jumped into his arms like a swallow, rubbing against him and acting like a baby, saying that he missed him... Dad said, he doesn't want anything, as long as this moment , he will not be tired immediately, and feel that he can still work for 500 years."

"Sister..." Ye Baiting sighed.

While Ye Baishao was talking, the movement of his hands stopped, as if he understood something, he suddenly turned his head: "You ask this, but it is related to father's case?"

Ye Baiting nodded, with a solemn expression: "The commander and I suspected that the father's case was related to the experience of this winter night 13 years ago."

Ye Baishao smiled, stopped looking at the mountain goods, cleaned her hands, brought the Four Treasures of the Study over, and sat across from her younger brother: "Mother and I came home early that day, and were very tired, and went to bed early, what happened What kind of accident, I really don't know, but after that, the guests who came to the house, either strange or frequent, gave me a strange memory point... can it be used?"

Ye Baiting: "You can try."

"Okay, then I'll tell you to write it, and the two of us will analyze it to see if there is anything that matches."

"Ah."