"He didn't get involved in the struggle for the crown prince because his fief was remote. So the emperor didn't hold any grudge against him. Moreover, after the emperor ascended the throne, he bestowed many rewards on the king, showing his intention to placate him."
If King Zhen was really wronged, it might have something to do with his hot - tempered nature.
But what a scumbag! It was okay that he was dead. It could be regarded as avenging those women who died miserably, Yi Qing couldn't help thinking.
"Some days ago, there was a problem with the tribute he presented. After the emperor ate it, he vomited and had diarrhea. So the emperor ordered him to write a letter of plea. But instead of writing it, he beat the eunuch sent by the emperor to deliver the imperial edict. Then the emperor ordered Qiao Ye to escort him to the capital."
Yi Qing: "...... He could live until now with such a brain. It's all because he was born into a good family, right?"
Xiao Tian turned a deaf ear to her sarcasm.
Baozi said, "Should we tell the emperor the truth now?"
"Baozi, we don't know what the truth is now." Xiao Tian said patiently, "We don't know the inside story of the dispute between King Zhen and Qiao Ye. The more the emperor values me, the more I can't talk casually, because it will affect many people's fates. Do you understand?"
Yi Qing didn't know if Baozi understood, but she knew she did.
The greater the influence, the greater the responsibility, and the more cautious one should be.
Baozi nodded blankly.
Xiao Tian added, "Actually, as far as I know, the emperor has a good impression of King Zhen. This time he was escorted to the capital. I guess it's just a minor punishment as a warning."
As they were talking, Zisu had walked to the window. "Let me see what this unlucky guy looks like. A good - for - nothing prince has been reduced to a prisoner. He was escorted all the way north from Fujian. I guess he's like a stray dog now."
Coincidentally, the official boat had docked at the shore. A man in the guise of a soldier stepped forward to pull King Zhen off the boat and put a cangue on him. Perhaps they thought his hair was in the way, so one person gathered all his hair to the back of his head, and others cooperated to put the cangue on King Zhen.
As a result, King Zhen's face was revealed.
"So it's him." Zisu murmured.
"You know him?" Yi Qing asked.
"Yes." Zisu nodded. "We have quite a history."
"Hmm?"
Zisu suddenly turned around and looked at Yi Qing, with a sincere and determined look in her eyes.
Yi Qing immediately rolled her eyes and gave a triple - denial: "No, I can't, it's impossible."
"You must be able to."
Xiao Tian: "......"
What were these two talking about?
Baozi could read lips, but these two were even more amazing. They could communicate just with their eyes?
"I told you before that before you saved me, I still owed someone a debt of gratitude for saving my life. It's him! I just thought he was a playboy before. I didn't expect he was the famous King Zhen." Zisu said.
"Famous?"
"Yes. He has a very good reputation in Fujian. Many ordinary people there speak well of him. Not to mention anything else, just his willful act of casually exempting taxes. Do you think the common people like it?"
Yi Qing: "...... He must be an idiot."
Exempting taxes was a matter that involved a wide range of aspects, wasn't it?
If you exempted taxes, you were a good person, but wouldn't those who didn't become bad guys?
If you exempted taxes, would it affect the income of local officials and the arrangements for various projects?
But Zisu was simple - minded and straightforward: "He's not a bad person, so I want to save him."
"Go ahead. I won't see you off." Yi Qing said coldly.
Only then did Xiao Tian realize that Yi Qing wasn't just targeting him.
When she was sarcastic, she spared no one around her.
Zisu was also a tough character. She sat there, as steady as a mountain. "Really want me to go? I can only break into the prison. If I'm caught, I'll say you're my accomplice."
Xiao Tian couldn't help smiling.
"Then don't sleep tonight. I might sneak into your room and cut your throat in the middle of the night!"
Baozi finally couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Mom, Aunt Zisu, can you discuss how to save people properly?"
They weren't kids. Even he wasn't that naive.
"You're already on her side? I haven't even agreed to help yet."
But Baozi said, "Uncle Xiao won't just sit back and do nothing. Whether it's for public or private reasons, he won't stay out of it, right, Uncle Xiao?"
Xiao Tian: "...... Right."
Zisu clapped her hands and praised, "Baozi is still amazing. Without any effort, he found a bodyguard."
Xiao Tian: "......"
"Don't be so smug after getting what you want." Yi Qing retorted.
Fortunately, the waiter started to serve the dishes, which finally quieted down this noisy group.
After they got back, Xiao Tian sent someone to inquire about the news and then shared all the information with Yi Qing.
"You know, several princes died during the struggle for the crown prince... The emperor said that this time he would hold a public trial, give King Zhen a chance to defend himself, and hand over all the evidence to the Supreme Court, so that the Supreme Court could give a fair and just verdict."
"It's just self - deception. Do you think others won't say he's manipulating behind the scenes? Whom do the officials in the Supreme Court listen to?" Yi Qing scoffed at this.
Xiao Tian: "...... Anyway, that's the situation. What else do you want to know?"
"What did the emperor eat that made him poisoned?"
"A kind of fruit sent from Fujian. It's out of season now. This is what the fruit looks like. Take a look." Xiao Tian was well - prepared. He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to her.
Yi Qing burst out laughing when she saw it. "Isn't this a mango?"
If mangoes were poisonous, she, who ate so many mango cakes and mango desserts in her previous life, would have already met Lord Yama.
"You've eaten it?" Xiao Tian asked, with a probing look in his eyes.
He had never even seen this thing. Why was Yi Qing so familiar with it?
"I saw it in a book." Yi Qing replied subconsciously.
"Aren't you illiterate?"
"I'm illiterate, but I'm not blind!" Yi Qing pointed at the picture with her finger. "I can still recognize this!"
"How do you know it's called a mango?"
"I named it myself. Is it really called this name?" Yi Qing started to play dumb.
"Yes, it's called a mango."
Oh, what a coincidence! It had the same name in ancient and modern times.
"Maybe I asked Baozi. These are not important. The important thing is that mangoes are not poisonous."
"But the emperor did vomit and have diarrhea after eating it."
"Maybe the emperor ate something else. Hasn't anyone else tried the other mangoes?"
"The emperor ate a whole one because he liked it. Now they suspect that one was poisonous. Even if the other mangoes are not poisonous, it can't prove that the one the emperor ate was not poisonous."
Yi Qing stroked her chin. "You might as well just say that the emperor doesn't like King Zhen. If you want to frame someone, you can always find an excuse."
"Yi Qing, don't talk nonsense. The emperor's body is precious. How could he joke about his own health? Besides, what benefit would he get from framing King Zhen? King Zhen is in a remote border area. What influence could he have on the emperor?"
Yi Qing sighed. "Since you say the emperor didn't frame King Zhen, I'll believe it."
"What do you mean?"
"There's only one truth!"
"Yi Qing, talk properly!"