The prince is more stable

Chapter 767 Interrogation of the Two Kings
There is no kinship in the imperial family; this is an ironclad truth.

Faced with his brothers who coveted his throne, Zhao Xu was naturally not going to be too polite to them. He wasn't even dead yet, and they were already making moves—no, they had already taken action.

This was undoubtedly a serious provocation to Zhao Xu.

Having little time left is one thing, being coveted by others is another. After I die, you may rob me as you please, but while I am alive, you had better behave yourselves. If you do not behave yourselves, do not blame me for turning against my brothers.

I don't care about your choice of heir to the throne. What I give you is yours. If I don't give it to you, you can't take it.

"Court interrogation"—this was the tone Zhao Xu set for Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xu's face was gloomy, and his complexion was getting worse, but his eyes were still bright, revealing a sharp and cold light.

Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief; this was exactly the attitude Zhao Xu wanted.

Zhao Xuruo still harbored a kind heart and remained benevolent towards those restless brothers until his death, leaving Zhao Xiaoqian with nothing to do.

So far, Zhao Xiaoqian has achieved his initial goals.

The assassination attempt on Zhang Dun caused an uproar in the court and the public, shocking Bianjing. He had stirred up the entire city, and the two heirs to the throne were inexplicably caught in the eye of the storm. The court officials, who had originally chosen sides, were now hesitant.

After all, a major case of assassinating the prime minister had occurred. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that both Prince Duan and Prince Jian were suspects. Once the truth of the case is revealed, it is unknown who the emperor will severely punish.

Therefore, taking sides at this time would be premature. If the prince they support is unfortunately found to be the murderer, these courtiers who have taken sides will not only fail to gain merit for supporting the emperor, but will also be implicated.

Officials who manage to infiltrate the imperial court are the cream of the crop; they would never stray from the same path as anyone else.

With Zhang Dun's assassination, the Imperial City Guard launched a massive search, and the once bustling court fell silent as if someone had suddenly poured cold water on it.

All eyes were on Zhao Ji and Zhao Si, as well as Prince Cheng, Zhao Xiaoqian, who was ordered to investigate the case.

There were no rumors, no evidence, but the court officials knew that the assassination of Zhang Dun was not a simple matter. It was most likely related to the struggle for the crown prince position. The question was which of the two princes did it, whether it was to eliminate dissidents or to smear their rivals.

Zhao Xu was adamant that the murderer must be brought to justice and that this matter could not be left unsolved as a mystery.

Zhao Xiaoqian hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, if it is found that it is one of the two princes, how will Your Majesty deal with them?"

Zhao Xu said coldly, "Of course, we'll follow the rules."

rule?

What rules?
What crime is it to assassinate the prime minister? If it were an ordinary person, it would naturally result in the extermination of their entire family. If it were a prince, he could not be killed, but at the very least, he would be stripped of his princely title, exiled thousands of miles away, and never allowed to return to the capital for the rest of his life.

For a moment, Zhao Xiaoqian even wavered, wanting to pin the case on Zhao Ji.

However, just a moment later, Zhao Xiaoqian ultimately rejected the idea.

The matter is too obvious. Even if you create irrefutable evidence, others will doubt its authenticity, and it doesn't make logical sense.

Zhang Dun publicly opposed Zhao Ji's ascension to the throne, and Zhao Ji immediately sent someone to assassinate him...

No normal person would do something so outrageous. If Zhao Xiaoqian fabricates irrefutable evidence, he will not only fail to achieve his goal, but will also get himself involved and arouse Zhao Xu's suspicion.

After careful consideration, Zhao Xiaoqian decided to stick to his original plan and pace.

The goal is to muddy the waters, but you must hide your ugly side in the process, otherwise you'll get burned and all the subsequent arrangements will be in chaos.

…………

After leaving the palace gates, Zhao Xiaoqian headed straight for the Imperial City Guard and entered the office without saying a word.

Wei Jie came forward to greet him, and Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a cold nod. Then he sat down in the main hall and ordered all the officials in the government office to assemble.

With a stern face and a cold tone, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "By imperial decree, the Imperial City Guard is to interrogate Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, and Prince Jian, Zhao Si, in court. I want to see them in the main hall of the Imperial City Guard in one hour."

After saying that, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up and waved his hand: "Go and do it, I'll wait here."

The officials looked at each other, all showing surprise. But Zhao Xiaoqian had said at the beginning that he was "by imperial decree," so no matter how many questions or concerns they had, they could not say anything and hurriedly left.

Wei Jie stood motionless by the table, somewhat alarmed, and asked, "The Emperor himself has issued an edict to arrest and question the two princes?"

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "Do you think I would dare to forge an imperial edict?"

Wei Jie hurriedly shook his head: "No, no, I was just a little surprised, after all, these two..."

"I don't care what you think, I care what I think. Just follow orders. Your own ideas don't matter."

With that, Zhao Xiaoqian got up and went into the back room.

The Imperial City Guard was very efficient, especially when it came to matters personally ordered by Zhao Xiaoqian. Half an hour later, Zhao Ji and Zhao Si arrived at the main hall of the Imperial City Guard's office.

Both princes were dressed in casual clothes. Zhao Ji was relatively calm. Standing in the hall, he even put his hands behind his back and looked around. His eyes showed curiosity and surprise, but no fear.

But Zhao Si's performance was different.

Prince Jian, Zhao Si, was only one year younger than Emperor Huizong of Song, and could be considered a handsome young man. However, at this moment, he was full of anger, with fierce eyes. Everyone he saw was glared at by him, like a wolf in a cage. Once the cage was opened, he would definitely rush out and bite people.

The two stood in the hall for a while. Zhao Si, whose temper was obviously more fiery than Zhao Ji's, became increasingly impatient and was about to shout at him when a person came out from behind the screen. He was wearing a purple official robe and a double-winged official hat. He walked out calmly and sat in the main seat in the hall.

Zhao Si's explosive temper immediately subsided, and his eyes narrowed slightly: "Zhao Xiaoqian? Did you order me to be brought to court?"

Zhao Xiaoqian scrutinized Zhao Si intently.

Over the years, Zhao Xiaoqian had only known Zhao Si, but they had no close relationship. He had heard that Zhao Si was quite arrogant and domineering because he was the emperor's brother by the same parents.

As for Zhao Xiaoqian, he had been stationed on the frontier for the past few years, and his interactions with Zhao Si had become even less frequent.

Seeing Zhao Si's fierce expression and unfriendly gaze fixed on him, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded inwardly. His reputation for arrogance was indeed well-deserved.

With a calm expression, Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze finally settled on Zhao Si, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Zhao Ji, Zhao Si, I am summoning you two to court today on imperial orders. There are some things I need you to explain."

Zhao Si laughed angrily: "Zhao Xiaoqian, you are just a member of the imperial clan who was lucky enough to be granted the title of king by the emperor. What right do you have to judge me?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile remained unchanged: "I just said that I am 'acting under imperial orders.' If you didn't hear me clearly, I can repeat it again: I am not qualified to interrogate you, but I represent the Emperor. Does the Emperor have the right to interrogate you?"

Zhao seemed speechless for a moment.

This lawless prince in Bianjing only feared the Emperor Zhao Xu, who was both the emperor and his elder brother. Zhao Xu was very strict with him, so how could Zhao not be afraid?

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Si looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with an arrogant gaze, though it was somewhat more subdued than before.

"Ask whatever you want. What does the assassination of the prime minister have to do with me? I can't understand why the emperor dragged me into this. Tomorrow I will definitely go to the palace to find out the truth," Zhao said indignantly.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow: "Zhao Si, I haven't asked you anything yet, how do you know you're being interrogated because of the assassination of the prime minister?"

Zhao Si remained completely calm and sneered, "Your Imperial City Guard has been making such a commotion these past few days, questioning officials everywhere. Do you think I'm blind? It's just that Zhang Dun was assassinated. You handle your case, why are you dragging me into this?"

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly looked at the Imperial City Clerk beside him who was diligently taking notes, and said indifferently, "Write down every word that Prince Jian said, so that it can be presented to the Emperor for review in the future."

Zhao Si's expression suddenly changed: "Zhao Xiaoqian, you..."

Zhao Xiaoqian had no time to pretend to be calm and composed anymore. His eyes suddenly turned sharp and cold as he stared straight into Zhao Si's eyes.

"Zhao Si, I've tolerated you for a long time now since we met. You're yelling at me like that. Do you think I wouldn't dare to torture you? If you're not happy, try again."

"My title of Prince Cheng was bestowed by the Emperor himself. You don't actually think I got it by sheer luck, do you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's tone was icy, and his expression revealed a hint of murderous intent. His years of leading troops in battle and issuing orders had cultivated a stern and murderous aura that made the air in the main hall seem to freeze temporarily. A thick murderous aura gradually spread, like a pair of invisible hands that fiercely gripped everyone's hearts.

Under Zhao Xiaoqian's piercing gaze, Zhao Si was also intimidated. He sensed in Zhao Xiaoqian the same temperament as his elder brother Zhao Xu: decisive and ruthless.

He can't afford to mess with someone like that.

Zhao Si finally realized this fact at this moment.

"The Emperor has issued an edict summoning the two of you for questioning. It's not the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, nor the Ministry of Justice, nor the Censorate, but directly the Imperial City Guard. Zhao Si, haven't you realized the seriousness of the matter? With your recklessness, do you think the Emperor will let you off?"

Zhao Si finally became afraid. His face turned pale involuntarily, his arrogant head drooped, and his expression instantly became very docile.

“Your Highness, please ask. I will answer everything I know. I am innocent,” Zhao Si honestly replied.

Zhao Xiaoqian then looked at Zhao Ji, who had remained silent, and said, "Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, what about you? Aren't you going to join in with a few shouts and scare me a little?"

Emperor Huizong smiled calmly and said, "The Emperor's decree is no ordinary matter. Your Highness Prince Cheng, please ask whatever you wish, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared intently at him.

Since his transmigration, the person in front of him has been his mortal enemy, and seems to have the protagonist's halo, making it impossible for him to be killed.

Now that the enemies have met, there is no tense atmosphere between them. Zhao Ji is very cooperative and pragmatic. He knows very well what the consequences would be if he challenged Zhao Xiaoqian's authority in the main hall of the Imperial City Guard.

Zhao Ji was a smart man, unlike Zhao Si, who was a fool who couldn't tell the situation from the beginning and only knew how to put on airs. The three people in the hall were all princes, so who was more powerful than whom?
"Where were you three days ago, on the night Prime Minister Zhang Dun was assassinated? Who can corroborate this? Do you have a register of the people who entered and left your residences that day?" Zhao Xiaoqian began the formal interrogation.

(End of this chapter)