fifth form

Chapter 3086 Pressure
"That's unreasonable!"

Zhang Xuezhou had the authority of a "Governor-General" and could directly enter the palace, while Zheng Dangshi could only apply to enter the palace.

When he arrived at the main hall of Weiyang Palace, Zhang Xuezhou was already standing obediently below the hall.

Several sets of porcelain were smashed on the ground, with shards scattered everywhere. A bronze wine pot rolled far away, and bamboo slips and documents were scattered all over the ground.

It's clear that everything that could be thrown away has been thrown away from the table in the main hall of Weiyang Palace.

"Minister Zheng, tell me how despicable these thieves are! As long as my sword is not kept in the palace, they can steal it immediately. What in this world wouldn't they dare to do? If I were to step out of the palace, wouldn't they take my head?"

The emperor in the main hall of Weiyang Palace is throwing a tantrum.

Zheng, who had already resigned himself to the idea of ​​"what's the use of trying" in his mind, felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart again.

This is no longer simply about the Crimson Sky Sword, nor is it just about high-ranking officials and imperial relatives who might be investigated. The new emperor has also gotten involved.

If no explanation can be given, this may be far more than just a demotion.

Zheng felt sweat instantly pouring down his forehead.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. That scoundrel is nothing but a petty thief and has absolutely no power to attack Your Majesty," Zheng Dang replied with a half-bow.

"Does Minister Zheng mean that if I were weaker, they could kill me at will?" the new emperor asked solemnly.

“Your Majesty, that’s impossible,” Zheng Dangshi said.

"It seems that Minister Zheng can vouch for me," the new emperor said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It seems that my safety is in Minister Zheng's hands. If I could discover Minister Zheng's talent sooner, why would I need to hide in this Weiyang Palace every day!"

"His Majesty……"

Zheng kept his head down at that time.

He had met the new emperor before, but at that time the new emperor was quite reserved in front of the Empress Dowager and treated the officials almost as if they were just going through the motions, so he didn't have any deep memories of him.

At this moment, Zheng Dangshi felt a deadly pressure.

Almost every word he uttered treaded on the edge of death; many things were neither permissible nor permissible to do.

When the questioning reached this point, Zheng only had one response that could temporarily put an end to it.

"Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to find out the origin of these villains and restore peace to our Chang'an City," Zheng Dangshi said through gritted teeth.

"See, I told you Zheng Qing is quite capable," the new emperor said. "If he says he can find the sword, then he definitely can!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Before Zheng could explain, Zhang Xuezhou, who was standing to the side, shouted as if he had been absolved of all responsibility, and many things were now attributed to Zheng.

Zheng was not an unsophisticated person; he felt that things should not be this way.

But the process took him by surprise.

Even though he had been thinking outside Zhang Xuezhou's residence for a long time, he had not expected the situation to be this bad.

"What if we can't find that sword?"

"Cut off heads, cut off the suspects one by one, until someone is willing to hand over the sword. That sword must never fall into the hands of villains!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The voices echoing the sentiments acted as if nothing had happened, and Zheng really wanted to jump up and knock the other person's head.

Why is it that Zhang Xuezhou is the one who lost the sword, while someone else is responsible for investigating and beheading him?

Normally, the first person to be beheaded in this kind of situation would be that reckless Dongfang Shuo. Hearing the other man repeatedly praising his emperor's wisdom, Zheng felt that the new emperor had been completely brainwashed by this young advisor.

Of course, he had to admit that the new emperor's close advisors did not hold high official positions, but their relationships were indeed much stronger than those of other officials. Even such a major matter was suppressed, and the blame was shifted onto others.

Zheng stood solemnly below the hall until the new emperor drove people away, at which point he gradually withdrew until he stepped out of the Weiyang Palace.

"Minister Dongfang..."

The sound of the new emperor speaking kindly to Zhang Xuezhou could be heard, but was then cut off by the closed door.

"Ugh!"

Zheng sighed deeply and took heavy steps away, when he heard footsteps approaching.

With a quick glance, Zheng spotted Li Guang, the head of the Weiyang Palace guards, and Li Cai, who needed to be checked.

The two approached each other, and Zheng knew very well that the other person had come to find him.

There are many minor matters happening in the capital, which is normal because people don't hear about them, but they will definitely know about important matters concerning themselves.

“Lord Zheng, it seems you have been ordered to investigate the theft of the Crimson Cloud Sword.” Li Guang stepped forward and said, “My cousin was injured in the battle at the border and has been recuperating all these years. He only wants to recover from his injuries and then serve the court. He has never had any other thoughts. Lord Zheng, please don’t use my cousin as a substitute when you investigate!”

“If Lord Zheng wants to investigate my three acres of land, you will need to have the Imperial Guards accompany me one-on-one,” Li Cai said. “I, Li Cai, am not afraid of being investigated, but I will not suffer the consequences of being wrongly accused!”

Li Cai was awarded an official position based on his military merits and was very straightforward.

He indicated that Zheng could lead the many expert investigators from the Jingzhao Prefecture to investigate the case thoroughly, but he needed to be wary of anyone framing him.

Regardless of whether this disaster was caused by the people of the Prefectural Governor's Office, or by other high-ranking officials or imperial relatives, he did not want to get involved.

“I understand what you two gentlemen mean. If an investigation is needed, Lord Li can arrange for someone to do so. Our Jingzhao Prefecture will absolutely not touch your residence in the slightest,” Zheng Dangshi said politely, cupping his hands in greeting.

"That's good!"

As long as the investigation is fair and transparent and malicious people are prevented from causing trouble, Li Cai doesn't care if his mansion is turned upside down. After all, he only realized the seriousness of the matter belatedly. He wasn't involved at all and doesn't want to be implicated in this matter.

When Jian Dan and Zheng met, Li Cai and the others saw Zhuang Qingzhai's figure appear in the distance.

This former Imperial Censor was equally astute. Although he was demoted and no longer included among the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, Zhuang Qingzhai still held the status of a marquis, a powerful official position, and even retained the right to enter and leave the palace.

When the new emperor and the empress dowager were fighting, Zhuang Qingzhai was just a nobody running around in the middle, not attracting anyone's attention at all.

This high-ranking official, who was forcibly promoted by the Empress Dowager, was truly capable, but lacked a strong enough backer. At this moment, he was also worried about being implicated and held accountable, so he hurriedly came to find Zheng Dangshi.

"Lord Zheng..."

Zhuang Qingzhai's opening remarks were not much different from Li Cai's.

As long as the clues are investigated fairly, Zhuang Qingzhai is not afraid of having his residence searched.

Of the four households adjacent to Zhang Xuezhou's residence, two have already expressed their support. Compared to Princess Dou and Marquis Pingyang, Li Cai and Zhuang Qingzhai are easy targets.

The easy targets were guarded against flawlessly, not to mention the two tougher ones.

Zheng felt he was doomed. Everyone else had ways to protect themselves, but where could he find such a way?

"This Lord Dongfang resolved the major conflict between Weiyang Palace and Changxin Palace in the palace. It's not a big deal that he uses the Chixiao Sword for protection. Why doesn't he carry it with him? ... That's right. His cultivation level is not high enough. The Empress Dowager and others are wary of the Chixiao Sword, but others don't have such concerns. Perhaps Dongfang Shuo will be killed in Maoling within two days of taking the sword on his inspection tour, thus taking away the Chixiao Sword."

Zheng mentally made several complaints.

But when he moved himself to Zhang Xuezhou's place, Zheng realized that he seemed to have no choice but to keep the Chixiao Sword in the mansion.