The prince is more stable

Chapter 764: Misfortune falls from the sky
The prime minister was assassinated right under the emperor's nose, on the Imperial Street very close to Yanfu Palace.

This news was so shocking that even Zhao Xu, who was on his deathbed, was startled awake.

This is extremely heinous. In the hundred years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, nothing so terrible has ever happened. Where did such a thief come from who was so audacious as to dare to assassinate even the prime minister?

If they dare to assassinate the prime minister today, who can guarantee they won't sneak into the palace to assassinate the emperor tomorrow?

Zhao Xu was furious. The assassination attempt on Zhang Dun last night had clearly crossed his bottom line.

The Kaifeng Prefecture can no longer be relied upon. They are capable of handling ordinary cases, but last night's case was anything but ordinary.

Therefore, Zhao Xu summoned Zhao Xiaoqian to the palace early in the morning.

At this point, only the Imperial City Guard might be able to solve the case. Putting aside the suspicions about Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Xu still highly regarded Zhao Xiaoqian's abilities, and he had never disappointed Zhao Xu.

"You, get out of here!" Zhao Xu said, pointing at Li Nangong, the prefect of Kaifeng.

Li Nangong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He didn't even dare to wipe away his cold sweat and hurriedly left the hall.

Zhao Xu glared at the imperial guards on night patrol and roared, "You all get out of here too!"

The generals also hurriedly withdrew.

Everyone left Funing Palace, leaving only Zhao Xu and Zhao Xiaoqian. Zhao Xu sighed and said with a gloomy face, "They are all good-for-nothings. I can't count on any of them!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xu's face suddenly contorted, and he unconsciously clutched his chest, his face turning pale.

Zhao Xiaoqian hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. Do not let external matters harm your body. I will summon the imperial physician for Your Majesty..."

Zhao Xu waved his hand: "No need. All the imperial physicians can do is take my pulse and then force-feed me some incomprehensible medicine. It's completely ineffective, so it's better not to see them at all."

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head helplessly. He and Zhao Xu both knew the truth: when a disease is terminal, medicine is indeed of little use.

"Zi'an, the case of the assassination of Zhang Dun is now entrusted to you and the Imperial City Guard. I hope you will give me a result as soon as possible. No matter who is involved, I need to know the answer."

Zhao Xu's tone was heavy, clearly indicating that he also understood that this matter was not simple. The person who dared to assassinate Zhang Dun was no ordinary person; he must have power and influence to have the confidence to do such a thing.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled wryly and said, "I can only say that I will do my best."

Zhao Xu glanced at him and asked, "Does Zi'an have anyone he suspects?"

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "To be honest, since Zhang Dun became prime minister, he has made too many enemies. I'm sure Your Majesty knows that Zhang Dun began to purge the old party officials in the court in the first year of Shaosheng. In the past few years, he has purged at least several hundred, if not thousands, of old party members."

“In theory, all of these people could be the masterminds behind his assassination attempt. Moreover, it is said that Minister Zhang has offended many people in the New Party. It will not be easy for me to find the murderer among these people.”

"The Imperial City Guard first casts a wide net, then screens and selects each suspect one by one before finally locking onto the suspect."

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment and said, "So, Zi'an thinks that the assassin who killed Zhang Dun must have been his former enemy, especially the old party officials who were purged and demoted?"

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked innocently: "Besides this reason, there may be others, but I am too dull to think of any at the moment."

Zhao Xu frowned, about to say something, but when he looked up and saw Zhao Xiaoqian's dishonest look, he immediately laughed in anger: "You, Zian, what time is it, and you're still trying to play tricks on me."

"Besides Zhang Dun's former enemies, there are probably other suspects, aren't there? If it's something you're not comfortable talking about, why don't I say it? For example... the recent controversy surrounding the succession struggle?"

Zhao Xu's lips curled slightly, his expression a mix of mockery and indifference, as he said calmly, "Didn't Zhang Dun once discuss the selection of the crown prince? He even said that Prince Duan was frivolous and unfit to be a ruler. Everyone in the city knew about that, and then last night Zhang Dun was assassinated. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a wry smile, "It is not appropriate for me to speak too much about matters of the imperial family. Since Your Majesty has brought it up, I will also speak the truth. Prince Duan should indeed be one of the suspects. However, everything must be based on evidence. Before the Imperial City Guard finds any solid evidence, I cannot rashly confirm that he is the mastermind behind the murder."

Zhao Xu nodded: "Yes, Zi'an is steady and reliable, and I have always trusted him."

After a pause, Zhao Xu continued, "Recently, the endless discussions in the court and among the people have all revolved around the selection of the crown prince. It's not impossible that Prince Duan, a man of such influence, openly said that he was unfit to be the emperor. In a fit of anger, Prince Duan might eliminate his opponents."

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked: "Wouldn't doing this be too obvious? Wouldn't it just make everyone suspicious of him?"

Zhao Xu said calmly, "When it comes to power and wealth, I wouldn't be surprised if someone did something in a moment of desperation. Besides, Prince Duan is only a sixteen-year-old boy. Young people often act impulsively out of passion and without considering the consequences. Who knows..."

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly said, "Let's wait until I've investigated everything before making any conclusions. It's too early to draw any conclusions now. If we wrong Prince Duan and damage the brotherly relationship between Your Majesty and Prince Duan, the consequences would be dire."

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Alright, I'll leave everything to Zi'an."

After speaking, Zhao Xu's eyelids drooped involuntarily. He had just been angry and cursing, and after venting his emotions, he was now feeling tired and his spirits were obviously low.

Zhao Xiaoqian tactfully got up to take his leave. Zhao Xu waved his hand, too exhausted to say anything, and lay down to sleep.

After Zhao Xiaoqian left the hall, Zhao Xu on the bed opened his eyes again, staring blankly at the roof beams, muttering to himself from time to time.

"Is it really Prince Duan? Or is it that his other brothers deliberately framed him in order to compete for the position of crown prince?"

Zhao Xu considered all possible suspects, but never thought of Zhao Xiaoqian.

After all, Zhao Xiaoqian was too well hidden. He had no enmity or conflict of interest with Zhang Dun, and their daily interactions were relatively amicable. He was not qualified to participate in the struggle for the throne, and he had also relinquished his military power. He posed no threat to the imperial family. No wonder Zhao Xu never suspected him; there was simply not a single sign that could arouse Zhao Xu's suspicion.

If he had even the slightest suspicion of Zhao Xiaoqian, he would not have handed over the case of assassinating Zhang Dun to Zhao Xiaoqian and the Imperial City Guard.

At this moment, Zhao Xu's mind was filled with the faces of Zhao Ji and his other brothers, which kept flashing through his mind.

Although he didn't say it outright, Zhao Xu was basically able to identify the suspects. He had already secretly ruled out the old party officials that Zhao Xiaoqian had mentioned earlier.

It's unlikely that officials from the old party were the masterminds behind this, since the incident happened precisely when the selection of the crown prince was causing such a stir. This suggests that it wasn't an old grudge, but a new one, or perhaps a frame-up against Prince Duan.

Now Zhao Xu wants to know whether it was Prince Duan who did this, or the work of his other brothers.

In the struggle for the crown prince position, using various means to bring down the most likely candidate is a basic tactic.

Coincidentally, Zhao Ji was the first in line to the throne.

Lying on the bed, Zhao Xu suddenly felt an unprecedented loneliness and chill.

He is the supreme ruler, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, yet he is still alive, and these people outside are already eager to seize the throne.

The world is cold and indifferent, and family ties are even colder.

Those scenes of brotherly affection and respect from back then can only be described as a very convincing act.

Only Zhao Xiaoqian, whether he was in his prime or now terminally ill, has always maintained a humble yet dignified demeanor, unchanged over the years.

Thinking of Zhao Xiaoqian, a trace of warmth finally flowed through Zhao Xu's cold heart, making him feel extremely at ease. At the same time, thinking of his past suspicions about him, Zhao Xu couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

…………

Prince Duan's Mansion.

Emperor Huizong got up early in the morning, and before he could even pretend to go to his study to read and write, he heard this terrible news that was like the sky falling down.

For a moment, Zhao Ji was completely dumbfounded.

Zhang Dun was assassinated last night, right on the Imperial Street.

It is said that the court and the public were shocked and rumors were rampant. The emperor was furious and urgently summoned Prefect Feng and Zhao Xiaoqian to the palace to thoroughly investigate the case and severely punish the murderer.

When Emperor Huizong first heard the news, he simply smiled faintly and didn't take it to heart.

However, when Zhou Xingzhe, the chief secretary of the Prince's Palace, stormed into the palace in a fit of rage and, disregarding all decorum, asked him directly whether he was responsible for the assassination of Zhang Dun, Zhao Ji's back was immediately covered in cold sweat, and his face turned deathly pale.

Who would have thought that, while sitting at home, trouble would fall from the sky?

Emperor Huizong never even considered assassinating Zhang Dun. When he heard about the rumors that Zhang Dun was discussing the selection of the crown prince, he only harbored resentment in his heart, planning to demote Zhang Dun or even find a pretext to get rid of him after he ascended the throne.

However, all the planned methods of revenge came after he ascended the throne.

At this crucial juncture in the struggle for the crown prince position, how could Zhao Ji possibly make such a foolish mistake as ordering an assassin to kill Zhang Dun in the dead of night? Wouldn't that be putting himself in a very difficult position?
Even though he clearly had a strong chance of winning the throne, if this matter were doubted or confirmed, Zhao Ji would have no chance to turn the tide at all.

Don't forget that Emperor Zhao Xu is still alive. With a single thought, he can decide who will be the next emperor. Assassinating the current prime minister would mean giving up his candidacy. Would Zhao Ji do something so foolish?
The problem now is that no matter who he explains to, no one believes him. Even Zhou Xingzhe in front of him looks at him with suspicion.

Even his closest and most trusted people no longer believe him, let alone strangers.

If mud falls into your crotch, even if it's not poop, it's still poop.

Zhang Dun had just said that Prince Duan was frivolous and unfit to be a ruler when he was immediately assassinated. Who would believe that it wasn't Zhao Ji who did it?
“Your Highness, this matter has shaken the court and the public. There is much discussion in the court and among the people. Prime Minister Zhang is the current prime minister. How could you…” Zhou Xingzhe looked heartbroken and stamped his foot heavily.

Emperor Huizong of Song stamped his foot in anger, his expression filled with grief and indignation: "I didn't do it!"

Zhou Xingzhe nodded perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, it wasn't Your Highness who did it. After that, Your Highness, no matter who you meet, just say this. You must never admit it."

Zhao Ji was so angry his chest felt like it was about to explode: "It really wasn't me! Don't you even believe me?"

Zhou Xingzhe continued nodding: "I believe you, of course I believe you. I only have one question now... Was the evidence from last night completely cleaned up? Did you leave no evidence whatsoever?"

Zhao Ji: “…………”

Zhou Xingzhe said with a worried look, "I heard that His Majesty is furious and has ordered Zhao Xiaoqian and the Imperial City Guard to investigate. Your Highness knows how capable Zhao Xiaoqian is, and I'm afraid he will find his way back to Your Highness..."

Zhao Ji's eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed Zhou Xingzhe's collar and roared, "I didn't do it! How many times do I have to say it? I really didn't do it, I swear to God!"

Zhou Xingzhe then showed surprise and looked at him suspiciously: "It really wasn't His Highness who did it?"

Zhao Ji angrily said, "In your eyes, how stupid do you think I am to assassinate the prime minister at this critical juncture? Do you think I'm tired of living? The emperor is still alive. Do you think I'm brainless and would dare to do such a lawless thing?"

(End of this chapter)