Those years when I hunted demons in Dali Temple

Chapter 929: Getting involved
"How dare you defy the sacred authority!" Zhang De whispered a rebuke to the newcomer.

In the past, such a reprimand would have sent shivers down one's spine, but today, when it fell upon this man, it had no effect whatsoever. He didn't even glance at Zhang De.

The sage pretended not to have seen this scene. He suppressed all his emotions and asked the newcomer, "Who are you?"

The visitor knelt and bowed his head before speaking, "This sinful subject speaks nonsense."

This person's voice was like rotten, withered branches and fallen leaves, hoarse and unpleasant to hear.

But the sage's attention was focused on the other person's name.

Nonsense?

The words "You're talking nonsense" were about to come out of his mouth when the sage suddenly came to his senses. He looked at his two sons in disbelief, then back and forth, finally settling on the King of Qin. "This man fled years ago and his whereabouts are unknown. How did the King of Qin find him?"

The King of Qin bowed very seriously before saying, "This man is still adept at reading people's minds. During the three years he was on the run, he took advantage of the principle of 'the darkest place is under the lamp' to hide back in Puyang County. Even when we caught him, he was still encouraging the new magistrate to use living people to test medicine!"

The sage's first reaction was anger, and he wanted to immediately cut off the man's head.

He took a deep breath and asked cryptically, "If this person was in Puyang, and the King of Qin should have been in Luoyang defending against foreign enemies, how did he discover him?"

The sage's words were practically pointing a finger at the King of Qin, accusing him of dereliction of duty.

The King of Qin calmly replied, "It was Xie's second wife who discovered this person by chance while tracking down the remnants of the 'Five Characters'."

Hu Yan, kneeling on the ground, had endured a period of unbearable suffering. Upon hearing this reason, he still felt a pang of sympathy for his own misfortune.

As for hating Xie's second wife, if he didn't know who she was, he might have had some courage to hold a grudge. But now that he knows who she is, he doesn't dare to vent his resentment on her, lest he end up with a soul that can't find peace even after death.

Upon hearing that it was Dao Yi's doing, the sage remained silent for a moment before turning his gaze to the crown prince.

The truth about his eldest son's identity was also revealed by Xie's second wife.

Oh, right, Hu Yan is here to testify about the Crown Prince.

So now, the Li family is in complete chaos, while the Wang and Xie families are all smiles and joy.
The emperor's face twisted for a moment. "Crown Prince, what else do you have to say?"

The Crown Prince also bowed and calmly said, "Your Majesty, I have never met this person before."

The sage's still-imposing gaze fell upon Hu Yan, "You've wronged a crown prince, Hu Yan, how dare you!"

Hu Yan knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, this humble subject has something to say. The matter began with a rumor."

Before the most respected people in the Guande Hall could ask any questions, Hu Yan began to recount the whole story as if pouring out beans.

"The mulberry bow and quiver will surely destroy the Zhou Kingdom." As soon as Hu Yan uttered these words, Zhang De inwardly groaned. Why hadn't he been stabbed to death by the chaotic army outside? Now, hearing this deadly statement, no matter who walked out of Guande Hall today, he would have no chance of survival.

When this rumor first circulated, the entire court believed it was the work of remnants of the previous dynasty. However, after Wang Xuanzhi's investigation and Dao Yi's accidental discovery of several matters related to the "Five Characters," the rumor was finally separated from the previous dynasty.

The rumors were spread by the "Five Characters Department," and today's nonsense is meant to identify the Crown Prince.

He brought up the purpose of the rumors.
The emperor felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart. He dared not look at the crown prince any longer. He could not believe that his eldest son had been murdered so early, right under his nose.

Hu Yan's voice continued, and the emperor's mind went blank. "How can you be sure that the crown prince is the one who orchestrated this?" Seeing the emperor's state, Zhang De mustered his courage and asked on his behalf.

Hu Yan said, "The matter of rumors is no small matter. The Crown Prince dared not let anyone else handle it. The one who came to find the guilty official was his trusted confidant, Feng Li."

He glanced at the King of Qin as he spoke, "The Crown Prince's purpose is merely to frame the King of Qin, who is currently in the Eastern Capital."

The Eastern Capital was an alternate capital city with Chang'an, and Puyang was close to the Eastern Capital. Whenever a rumor arose, the first person suspected would be the King of Qin, who was fighting in the Eastern Capital. Moreover, because the rumor did not circulate in the Eastern Capital, there was less possibility of it being framed.

This statement is somewhat convincing.

The crown prince, who had been silent, suddenly clapped his hands three times before stopping.

All eyes turned to the Crown Prince, who chuckled softly, “That sounds quite nice. The Court of Judicial Review requires witnesses and physical evidence to adjudicate cases. As the Crown Prince of the country, how can I be punished simply because of someone’s false accusations? I refuse to accept this!”

He said he was not convinced, but when he looked at the King of Qin, his eyes were full of provocation, as if to say: Look, even if you find witnesses, so what? You still can't convict me.

The generals behind the King of Qin, including Chen Yizhi, all thrust their spears at him.

The King of Qin shook his head almost imperceptibly. His fake brother seemed to have victory in his grasp, but in reality, he had not yet figured out one thing.

In this cannibalistic imperial city, only those with power and strength have the right to speak.

Today, if he wanted to, he could kill the man immediately, but if he did, the death of his true brother would never see the light of day again. He didn't mind being a man who killed his own brother; that's always been the way to become emperor.

But he wouldn't let others smear him; he wanted to teach his father a lesson about the current situation.

"It's just a three-legged monster, what are you complaining about!" A clear and melodious female voice came from outside the Guande Hall.

Before everyone could figure it out, the Crown Prince, who had remained calm when Hu Yan accused him, now stared at the people outside the hall with a distorted expression.

Zhang De wanted to shout as usual, "How dare you! How can a woman be allowed to trespass in the place where the emperor and his ministers discuss matters?" But seeing that the emperor did not react, he gave up on this pointless endeavor.

"Second Madam Xie, you have just become a wife of the Wang family today, why are you here?" The Sage looked at Dao Yi, who was not wearing her wedding dress but was dressed in new clothes, and questioned her in a deep tone.

Dao Yi pretended not to understand the sage's unspoken meaning: since she had already arrived, how could the sage possibly drive her away?

She cupped her hands in a respectful gesture, then turned to the Crown Prince, saying, "I have come for him."

Upon hearing Dao Yi refer to himself, the Sage suddenly remembered that Dao Yi was no longer just a coroner in name only, but also a member of the court. The Demon Slaying Division that Wang Xuanzhi had secretly established was at Dao Yi's behest.

The fake prince stared at her, secretly grinding his teeth.

The scene just now was nothing more than a minor disturbance for him. Even if everyone present was combined, apart from Chen Yizhi who could have some impact on him, no one else was a match for him. However, Dao Yi's arrival made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Dao Yi glanced at the King of Qin without leaving a trace, and when he saw Chen Yi behind him, he curled his lip in dissatisfaction, and finally vented his dissatisfaction on the fake crown prince.

"She Tuo, have you been pretending to be a human for so long that you've forgotten your true self?"

Thank you Gaoliangjiu and Xiaogui for the monthly tickets, and thank you to reader 20250720155526580 for the donation! Mwah~
I can't type the character 涉 (shè) no matter what I try, even using pinyin, so I'm using 鼍 (tōu) instead.