Chapter 273 - A Murder Case

However, Madam Chang didn’t plan to tell Song Yixiao in details. She just cursed the maids who had served Princess Consort of Liang and then thanked Song Yixiao a lot for her reminder. Later, she insisted on leaving the valuable gifts and then said goodbye.

Although Song Yixiao suspected that somebody else was behind the scenes when Princess Consort of Liang was harmed, she couldn’t insist on asking more. After all, even though there was no outstanding man in the Sikong Family now, Great Grand Princess Zhenyang was still alive. This was the first emperor’s daughter, and she had seen a lot as she had gone through the ups and downs of life.

She personally asked about her granddaughter’s pregnancy, so who could do anything evil to Princess Consort of Liang?

Madam Chang didn’t talk about more information and perhaps she had thought that the insider information couldn’t be revealed to the outsiders. After all, Song Yixiao sent a secret message to the Sikong Family just because of her friendship with Sikong Yiluo. Now the Sikong Family and Princess Consort of Liang were going to make it up, and the princess consort regained the support of her parents’ family during pregnancy, so Song Yixiao wasn’t interested in those secrets.

Therefore, after she saw Madam Chang off, she didn’t think more about it.

More than half a month had passed after Su Bofeng was disabled, and Zhao Wu and the others under escort came near the capital city’s environs gradually.

And the rumors in the imperial capital that the Eastern Palace had incited the governor of Qingzhou to harm the family of the empress’ parents spread everywhere again.

“Your Highness, you should make a decision earlier.” Gu Shao reminded the crown prince in secret. “Zhao Wu would arrive in four or five days. Then if he says that the crimes he and his son committed were your plans, the imperial court and harem system would make a fuss about it. His Majesty is in poor health recently and can’t worry too much.”

The crown prince understood what Gu Shao meant. Even if Zhao Wu didn’t have the plan to drag down the Eastern Palace, when the imperial court and harem system had this intention, somebody would remind him. Didn’t Emperor Xianjia say that they couldn’t let the Su Family suffer from injustice in this case? The lives of Zhao Wu’s whole family were at the mercy of the Su Family.

If the Su Family gave the Zhao Family a chance to stay alive and told Zhao Wu to put the blame on the crown prince in return, wouldn’t he agree?

“If we want a fundamental solution, we should make Zhao Wu and his son shut up forever.” The crown prince stayed silent for a while and then added slowly, “But I have nobody to finish this job. Prime Minister Gu, can you give me instructions?”

In fact, he said that to imply that Gu Shao should send somebody to deal with this matter and if there was something wrong, he couldn’t implicate the Eastern Palace.

Before Gu Shao spoke, he had expected that the crown prince would say so, so he was not surprised. He just replied, “It’s easy to cope with the escorts sent by the imperial court, yet I am afraid that it is difficult to avoid a covert attack. I can do nothing but try my best.”

The crown prince responded seriously, “Thanks, Prime Minister Gu.”

After a pause, he continued, “I am waiting for the good news from you.”

After saying that, the crown prince regretted it. Gu Shao had said that he could do nothing but try his best. No matter whether Gu Shao said it modestly or he had no confidence indeed, after the crown prince stressed the words “good news”, he seemed to force the prime minister, which showed that he was impatient and lost the calmness that a leader should have.

Although the crown prince couldn’t keep calm at the moment.

He composed himself and decided to remedy it. “The case in Qingzhou has nothing to do with me. It’s said that a clear conscience laughs at false accusation. Prime Minister Gu, don’t need to worry too much.”

Gu Shao nodded peacefully, and nobody could see if he minded the crown prince’s first words. He responded unhurriedly, “Your Highness, don’t worry. I will do everything I can.”

Two days later, Zhao Wu and the others were attacked by robbers in Jianling County, which was only dozens of miles away from the capital city’s environs. According to an urgent message on a fast horse from the county magistrate in Jianling, all the escorts had been injured or dead, and Zhao Wu and his son had been killed in the prison carriages.

Only Su Bofeng was lucky to stay alive because his family worried about him and sent a great master to accompany him as he was on the trip after being wounded, but none of the servants who traveled with him was left alive.

Such an action to do away with witnesses like a crushing blow made the crown prince pound the table furiously. “Now all people in the imperial capital say that Zhao Wu was incited by me to intentionally indulge his son in harming Su Bofeng. Prime Minister Gu, how can you make such a fuss? Wouldn’t it confirm my crime?”

The crown prince didn’t need to inquire about it and could guess how tempestuous the rumors outside were.

He had thought that Gu Shao was careful and could finish the job well when he was in charge of the action in personal to kill the witnesses secretly, and nobody could comment on it. But he didn’t expect that this high official known to the public would have done it so stupidly. Now it was not an unstable country like decades ago. Great Rui was powerful, prosperous and peaceful, and Jianling County was next to the imperial capital. If they urged the fast horses, they could arrive at the capital in the evening after setting off in the morning. How was it possible to have robbers on a large scale?

To say the least, even if there were robbers, the ordinary robbers just wanted money, and if they took actions, they would aim at the travelling merchants. How would they target a team to escort prisoners?

Zhao Wu was a sub-third-rank official. In order to escort him, the Ministry of Punishments had sent a director, a fifth-rank official after taking the imperial examination.

Killing an official was like rebelling. In addition, now all people at the imperial court knew that even Emperor Xianjia paid attention to Zhao Wu’s case and had personally given instructions.

All in all, now even an idiot could guess that the murder case in Jianling was probably planned by the crown prince.

If Gu Shao was not of noble character and high prestige or the crown prince had other choices except expecting the prime minister to save the desperate situation, the crown prince wouldn’t simply pound the table. Even so, the crown prince didn’t show respect to him as usual but maliciously gazed at this prime minister who took office not long ago, waiting for his explanation, with a long face.

Unexpectedly, Gu Shao who was summoned urgently looked worse than the crown prince. “Your Highness, it has nothing to do with me.”

“What?” The crown prince looked at him in disbelief, and as his first reaction, he wondered if Gu Shao planned to retreat and wanted the heir to the throne to take the blame for him as he couldn’t clean up the mess after making trouble.

However, as soon as anger flashed in the crown prince’s brows, he heard Gu Shao say anxiously, “Your Highness, I did send some people, but they planned to take actions tonight, so the case in Jianling has nothing to do with me indeed.”

“Was there an accident so they took actions in advance?” The crown prince heard that and didn’t feel so angry. He knew that. How would Gu Shao be so stupid as to cause the shocking murder case in Jianling in the open day?

Now it appeared that perhaps it didn’t go smoothly… Unexpectedly, when the crown prince thought about it, Gu Shao sighed and shook his head. “Your Highness, it is impossible because when I sent them to do it, I made it clear that they would be arranged by a trusted subordinate of Zhao Wu from Qingzhou. They want to assassinate Zhao Wu and his son because that trusted subordinate fears that he would be implicated after Zhao Wu is brought to trial this time as he helped Zhao Wu do many evil things. So he has the intention to kill them. Those people would rather be completely annihilated than cause such a murder case, and they would never kill a director from the Ministry of Punishments.”

After all, a local official in Qingzhou was merely fourth-rank or fifth-rank, and he was afraid of death. He sent desperados to chase a thousand miles and murder his superior who had committed a crime, which was enough to show that he was bold, capable and crazy to throw the helve after the hatchet.

How would the people won over by a middle-level official with a common family background have the ability to wipe out all people including the escorts, an official sent by the imperial court and the runners from the government?

The old official who could always maintain his composure looked frustrated inevitably at the moment. “After I got the news about the case in Jianling, I have sent a message to tell them to cancel the plan at once and hide themselves separately. However, as soon as they came near the team to escort prisoners, the team suffered the disaster. It was such a coincidence. Zhao Wu and the others must be a trap, and perhaps it’s too late to retreat.”

It was too late indeed because at that night, the county magistrate’s assistant from Jianling who led soldiers to search the “robbers” everywhere blocked the people sent by Gu Shao.

Although because it was dark at night, they couldn’t capture all people, they caught three people alive, not to mention the ones who were killed in chaos.

And all the evidence and witnesses were certainly sent to the imperial capital rapidly.

The three people left alive were outlaws who would rather die than expose their employer. They had been tortured in the Ministry of Punishments for a whole night but didn’t reveal any information. Even though they didn’t speak, it didn’t mean that nothing was found in the case.

The next day, something new was found in Jianling County. As all the officials in the county were determined to atone for the crime by meritorious actions, they followed the trace of the people who ran away last night and chased them to the end. At last, they went to a manor which belonged to the crown prince.

“Those people were not sent by me!” Gu Shao explained to the crown prince. “My people won’t…”

“They targeted me in this case from the beginning.” The crown prince interrupted before Gu Shao finished his words. “Otherwise, why did Zhao Wu write to seek refuge with me in a hurry as soon as he fell out with the Su Family? Later, before I made up my mind, Su Bofeng was disabled by Zhao Wu’s son and then Grandma ordered them to bring all people concerned to trial. If a series of things didn’t happen, why would I plan to send some people to kill the witnesses? If I didn’t send people to get involved in this case, what does it have to do with me even if all people including Su Bofeng were killed on the way?”

“Your Highness.” Gu Shao was ashamed and lifted his robe, kneeling down. “I am incapable, so you fell into a trap without being aware of it. Moreover, I planned the action to kill the witnesses, and it has nothing to do with you.”

However, the crown prince shook his head and stated peacefully. “Prime Minister Gu, get up. Even though you planned the action, it was my order. How can I stay out of it?”

After all, he had been taught and influenced by Emperor Xianjia for twenty years. Although because he was inexperienced and didn’t toughen himself enough, his fighting method, experience and mentality were unpresentable in the eyes of Grand Princess Daiguo and the other elders, he wouldn’t be in panic when the situation became critical.

The crown prince comforted Gu Shao and told him to get up. Then he expressed, “There are rumors in the imperial capital which defame me, and now there is news with solid evidence from Jianling County that the murders hid in my manor. Next, the imperial court and harem system would attack me in a group.”

He waved his hand and stopped Gu Shao from speaking. “The Ministry of Punishments is under the control of Prince of Zhao, and all the officials in Jianling County make concerted effort to shift the responsibility. Even if the three people in the hands of the Ministry of Punishments keep their mouths shut, Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao would rake up my past and attack me. Moreover, Grandma looks down from a height and may get involved and act in concert with them at any time.”

Cruelness flashed on the face of the young heir to the throne, and he stated in a deep voice, “Even though it makes me sad as the brothers kill each other and Grandma and I suspect each other, I don’t dare to let Father down.”

He paused for a moment and then ordered, “Summon our people immediately to discuss official business in the study.”

After a long time, He Wenqiong, Jian Xubai and the others gathered in the study and sat in great state, seriously listening to Gu Shao telling them what had happened. Of course, Gu Shao took the blame alone for sending people to kill the witnesses and didn’t mention the crown prince. He just said that he acted on his own. Prince of Liang who almost had no experience at the imperial court expressed resentfully first, “Prime Minister Gu, you did that too rashly.”

Jian Xubai and the others exchanged glances and understood that. How would Gu Shao hide something so important from the crown prince and act arbitrarily? Not to mention that he failed and the evidence against him was found by the political opponents, even if he finished it successfully, he might not be praised by the crown prince after the event. After all, no matter how broad-minded a leader was, he wouldn’t like his subordinate to hide anything crucial from him.

“Now it’s pointless to talk about this.” He Wenqiong who was the eldest and of the highest rank except Gu Shao at the table stroked his short beard and mediated. “Moreover, now it looks like a trap set for His Highness. Even if Prime Minister Gu didn’t send people to kill the witnesses, probably there would still be a murder case in Jianling, and the ‘robbers’ would still hide in His Highness’ domain under the watchful eyes of all people.”

The crown prince looked calm and nobody could see his emotions. “Exactly. So now we don’t need to judge if our people are right or wrong. The priority is to discuss the solution.”

“Do you know the background of the director from the Ministry of Punishments who died at his post?” It was silent in the room, and Jian Xubai spoke first. “He was a fifth-rank official anyway, and he was sent by the imperial court to Qingzhou to escort the prisoners this time. Now he was abandoned. I wonder what his family are thinking about.”