Adoption brings disaster

Chapter 146

The curtain has already been raised on this drama, and now all it needs is someone to start the show.

However, it wasn't a difficult task to be the first person to open the show. After all, in this big show, everyone wanted to show up and compete for fame and fortune. The first person to open the show was the most important, and many people were afraid that if they were too slow, their spot would be snatched away by someone else.

Just as the minister finished speaking, another person suddenly appeared from behind, pointed his finger at my nose, and cursed me harshly: "You disloyal and treacherous villain, how dare you do such a thing to deceive the emperor? Aren't you afraid of retribution? How dare you swear and say you are Zhang Ge? Ugh."

After saying this, the man spat on the ground in disgust, looked at Zhang Ge Lao with disgust as he saw feces and urine all over the floor, and said, "Allowing such a person to join the cabinet is the greatest insult to scholars like us."

After cursing Zhang Gelao lying on the ground, the man looked at me aggressively and said, "Do you dare to swear and say that you are the son of this sinner Zhang?"

"Of course I'm not his son." I had already made up my mind and said it lightly.

"You wouldn't dare, so it's better to confess your crime as soon as possible to avoid suffering..."

At this point, the man finally realized what I said. He looked at me in disbelief and said, "What did you say?"

I looked at that man, who looked like a clown, and found it quite funny. I chuckled and said, "Of course I'm not his son. If you haven't heard clearly, I can say it again: of course I'm not his son. Do you hear clearly now?"

"Hahahaha." The man laughed crazily after hearing my answer.

He laughed wildly for a while, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly said to the historian standing at the foot of the dragon throne, "Historian Chen, quickly write down the words of this traitor."

After saying that, he acted like an important official in the court and ordered the guards to arrest me.

But unfortunately, he is just a fourth-rank official. He may be admired by others in other places, but he is not good enough here.

The guards seemed not to have heard anything and remained motionless, while the other court officials glanced at him with disgust, lowered their heads and said nothing, all waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

The ministers thought that Prince Yong would teach him a lesson, but they did not expect that the historian Chen would challenge him first.

"I, the historian, know what should and shouldn't be recorded. History must be recorded impartially. How can I allow a villain like you to dictate what's appropriate?"

The historian Chen, standing nearby, looked displeased and said coldly, "Ye Chun of Shu is arrogant and disrespectful. He even insulted the nobles with the help of ordinary people in the court and even attempted to interfere with the history books..."

The historian Chen's few light words frightened the man so much that he broke out in a cold sweat. He was so flustered for a moment that he couldn't even speak clearly. The historian Chen's next words frightened him so much that he collapsed to the ground.

Then, the historian Chen continued, "People like you who exploit opportunities and work hard to monopolize your own business are the most despised by us scholars. Since you seek fame and fortune, I will let you be infamous forever, so that others will know the consequences of such unorthodox practices and learn from them."

These words were extremely serious. Not only did they end Ye Chun's official position, they also ended the future of his entire clan.

People in the world are so ignorant that they will definitely not care whether the historian Chen is wrong or not. Instead, every time they read this sentence, they will criticize Ye Chun of Shu with the attitude of a winner.

Moreover, according to human nature, people would not only criticize others, but also step on them harshly to show their own moral integrity.

Ye Chun from Shu was originally a clown, and now that Chen the historian had said these few words about him, he was even more disgusting like a stink bug.

That would have been fine, but King Yong had Ye Chun dragged out again. Judging from the guards' expressions, it seemed likely that a good beating was waiting for Ye Chun.

But this is not important, so there is no need to mention it again.

Although this little episode scared off those who wanted to show their faces, it had no impact on the big show.

Because in such a big drama, these small officials can only be background members. If they are allowed to play the leading role, it would be really a laughing stock.

I knew this, so I ignored the minor official and Chen Shiguan. I just turned around and looked at the protagonist of this drama - His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

I looked at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and said gently, "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince is always sharp-witted. I wonder what you think of this matter?"

I asked this casually, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bowed solemnly to me, standing upright with the demeanor of a junior, and said, "Your Highness Qianqiu, please just say that I am virtuous. I have been busy with state affairs these years, and I have become so estranged from Your Highness that I can't even speak to him as cordially as before."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been mature and serious in his words, but there was a hint of grievance in his words, as if he was a son who had a grudge against his father and was acting coquettishly with him.

The ministers in the court were all well versed in the ways of the world. Seeing His Royal Highness the Crown Prince being so affectionate with me, they all began to back off. However, there were still many loyal ministers in the court. When they heard the Crown Prince say this, they hurried out to persuade him.

"Your Highness, this is wrong. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent and the foundation of the nation. Apart from Your Majesty, how can anyone else address him by his first name? I hope Your Highness will never say such things again."

Although the Beishang Kingdom has been established for two hundred years and factions have matured in the court, the politics is still relatively clear, especially when the current emperor was young and worked hard to govern the country. There are still many loyal ministers in the court now, and the one who spoke out to stop it just now was a representative of the loyal ministers.

The prince has always been humble and polite, and he is especially courteous to these loyal ministers. Naturally, he nodded in approval, looking like a good student.

This scene couldn't go wrong, so I asked again, "What does His Royal Highness think about this matter?"

Everyone knows that His Royal Highness is gentle and refined. After I asked this question for the second time, His Royal Highness looked at me with clear but wise eyes and said, "Qianqiu and I have known each other for more than ten years. Qianqiu's character is naturally like white jade, flawless, so I feel from the bottom of my heart that Qianqiu has been wronged in this matter."

As soon as the prince said this, some young loyal ministers behind him could no longer sit still. Although they did not stand up and say anything, there were whispers of discussion.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looked at the people discussing behind him without getting annoyed. Instead, he continued, "But since this is what Elder Zhang himself said when he turned himself in, we must investigate. So when General Lu went to pick up His Highness Qianqiu, several people had already gone to investigate, and they've all returned now."

As soon as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince finished speaking, several people stood up.

I don't know any of these people, but it doesn't matter what they find out, because I came from a time traveler, so they can't have any substantial evidence. At most, they can only find some hearsay. Although it's a bit troublesome, it's just a verbal battle.

"These people are all loyal ministers, not the Crown Prince's party. I think what they found out is fair, but..." His Royal Highness Prince Yong said in my mind, "but what they found out is credible, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to cover it up by factional strife."

We were together day and night, and with Chongguang's intelligence, it would be a lie if he said he had never doubted me. With the means of Prince Zhenbei and the Imperial Concubine, they naturally found out some things and discovered some things that were not right. I later asked people to investigate, and some key things had disappeared. I think they did it.

The meaning of His Royal Highness Prince Yong's words was quite obvious, but I didn't care. I just stood there quietly and watched those people come forward.

An official said, "According to the rituals of this dynasty, the selection of ministers is a matter of vital importance to the nation. From the moment a child is born, the Ministry of Rites will record their physical condition in detail every year to prevent any unforeseen circumstances." The official produced a record and said, "This is the Ministry of Rites' detailed record. Ministers, please take a look."

It doesn't matter what was recorded, what's important is what's wrong. After the record was passed to two people, no one read it anymore. Everyone was waiting for the person to continue speaking.

The man continued, "There's one entry in this record every year: a plum blossom-shaped birthmark on the chest."

After saying this, the man stared at my chest, his thoughts were self-evident.

I chuckled and said, "I don't have a plum blossom birthmark on my chest."

As soon as these words were spoken, the murmuring voices turned into a noisy discussion.

But I didn't care. Instead, I looked at His Royal Highness and asked again, "What do you think, His Royal Highness?"

The prince replied solemnly, "I still say the same thing. Your Highness Qianqiu is a noble person. I think he has been wronged."

I lowered my head and smiled, then looked at the man and asked, "Did you find anything else?"

Seeing me ask this, the man looked at me in surprise, then pulled out another record and said, "I've also found something else. This is the record kept by the Imperial Hospital when His Royal Highness Prince Yong was infected with the plague. It records that His Royal Highness Yuan Qing, who was then practicing dual cultivation techniques to save His Royal Highness Prince Yong, became possessed and underwent physical changes. The disappearance of the birthmark is clearly recorded in it."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a murmur of discussion in the court, but they were all unimportant things that would not pass the review, so they were not told to everyone.

"I remember I became possessed before the plague," I said lightly in my mind.

Prince Yong said, "It was a long time ago, Qianqiu may have misremembered it. It happened during the plague."

The man also circulated the records of the Imperial Hospital to everyone, but the matter had reached a stalemate, so no one checked them and just waited to see what the people behind would say.

Seeing that no one was looking at the records, the official also said, "I am ashamed that I have not found anything else. I cannot give justice to His Highness Qianqiu. Please forgive me."

What he said was a bit strange, as if he had already determined that I was being wronged.

"You don't know him. He was from a poor family and was frail and sickly. Two years ago, when he went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, he fell seriously ill and had no money. He almost died of illness and starvation on the street. Later, he was sent to a poor doctor's clinic, and that's how he saved his life."

His Royal Highness Prince Yong said to me in his mind: "After he recovered from his illness, the poor medical clinic provided him with food, clothing and shelter, which gave him the opportunity to pass the imperial examination and become an official. You can be said to be his second parent, so naturally he is on your side."

"I didn't expect there was such a reason. I'm really lucky." I said with a smile.

His Royal Highness Prince Yong disagreed and said, "The Poor Clinic has been providing medical treatment and medicine for so many years, and many people in the capital and outsiders have benefited from its kindness. There are always a few people who can be of some use to it. It's not that you are lucky, Qianqiu."

After that man left, another person stepped forward, produced a confession, and said, "I have presented the several important witnesses mentioned by Lord Zhang. The steward's testimony is detailed and logically coherent, and every detail matches up. Lord Zhang's statement doesn't seem to be false."

The man passed the confession around for everyone to read. After everyone briefly reviewed it, he said, "The steward is outside the palace. If you, the ministers, feel that I am incompetent or have made mistakes, you can bring me in for public trial."

"You are joking, Mr. Detective. There are no unjust, false or wrong cases under your leadership. Everyone is naturally convinced." Prince Gong said with a smile.

I have met the Death Detective several times, but it was many years ago, so I didn't recognize him at first. Since he is Qingyu's master, he is also an elder, so I paid him the respect of a junior.

But for some reason, the Death Detective turned away and refused my greeting.

Not only that, he snorted coldly and took two steps back before saying, "It's just that the witnesses mentioned in the butler's confession are no longer alive, and the physical evidence is difficult to find due to the passage of time. Therefore, this confession cannot convict His Highness Qianqiu."

I felt that the Death Detective was gritting his teeth when he said the four words "His Highness Qianqiu". I thought about it for a moment, but I couldn't remember when I had offended him.

I couldn't figure it out, so I could only wonder in my head, "Does he particularly hate me, or is this just my illusion?"

His Royal Highness Prince Yong chuckled and said, "He doesn't hate you at all, he just simply wants you to die."

He had such a deep hatred for me, but I didn't know how I had offended him, so I asked again, "Why? I didn't offend him."

"It's all because of his beloved disciple, eh." His Royal Highness Prince Yong paused, chuckled, and said, "Those with great abilities often have great tempers. The detective is getting older, and his temper is even more erratic now. But he is fair, and his words are just a little harsh. Don't take it to heart, Qianqiu."

"My disciple is even better than his teacher. He is now fully investigating. I think it will only take a day or two to obtain solid evidence and clear His Highness Qianqiu's name."

After the death detective finished speaking, I don't know if it was because his throat was uncomfortable or what, he kept coughing in the court. Finally, he spat a mouthful of phlegm at my feet and said angrily: "You are so blind, you really deserve to die."

After saying this, he left the court angrily without caring about anyone else.

His behavior left me at a loss, but the Death Detective is an old man and also Qingyu's master, so I can't blame him. I can only pretend that I didn't see it and not mention it.

Later, several more people came forward, and the result was the same. They had evidence to prove that what Zhang Ge Lao said was true, but the evidence was either not complete or there was other evidence to overturn it. They could not convict me, and the matter seemed to be at a stalemate.

Predict what will happen in the future, and listen to the next decomposition.