I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong slowly raised his hand to stop Qi Min from speaking.

"Big rat, big rat, don't eat my millet! I've been loyal to you for three years, yet you never care about me."

"You can kill rats every year, but you can't get rid of them all; you can kill corrupt officials every day, but there are still corrupt officials every day."

"Qi Qing, even if I give you a sharp knife, you still won't be able to kill many."

"Those who deserve to die, I will still kill."

[Recite a quote from Emperor Jiajing, play Emperor Jiajing +2, reward: Medicine King's Golden Elixir]

The Crown Prince is under house arrest; he cannot be moved much for the time being.

Xiao Jingxuan died last year, and now the idea of ​​deposing and installing someone else is being used lightly, which is not conducive to the stability of the court. The Crown Prince Party, led by Tian Dezhi, will definitely use this as an excuse to block it.

Moreover, Qinglong has not yet completely taken control of the Hua clan's hidden forces in Qin Banruo's hands.

Taking action against Xiao Jinghuan now would be counterproductive.

Once the power of the Hua Clan falls entirely into the hands of the Azure Dragon, both Xiao Jinghuan and Qin Banruo will die.

In addition, Zhu Houcong also planned to shift all the blame onto Mei Changsu.

After all, the caravan that delivered the gift to Xiao Jinghuan was robbed by the Jiangzuo Alliance.

Then, we'll reveal Mei Changsu's suspected identity as a remnant of the Chiyan Army to him.

The two are bound to fight fiercely.

In this way, Mei Changsu would have no time to cause trouble.

However, although Xiao Jinghuan's position as crown prince will not be revoked for the time being, the crackdown on the crown prince's faction must not be lenient.

The disaster was most severe in Yuezhou. According to secret reports, people had starved to death in the streets, and there were even tragic incidents of people exchanging their own children to eat.

Even under such circumstances, Gu Xichao and his associates were still able to plunder the people's wealth and present lavish gifts to the Crown Prince.

It's just the right time to uproot it.

In particular, Gu Xichao, a newly surrendered general, was eager to gain a foothold in the court, so he couldn't wait to cling to the Crown Prince's coattails.

He thought that by attaching himself to the crown prince, he could rest easy.

This is a perfect opportunity to take his head and give my beloved concubine a surprise.

"deliver an imperial order!"

Zhu Houcong suddenly spoke, his voice as cold as ice.

"From the prefect of Yuezhou down, all those involved in this matter shall be immediately escorted to the capital, executed by slow slicing, their property confiscated, and their clansmen exiled three thousand li away."

"The most urgent tasks at hand are to quell the civil unrest and provide relief to the disaster victims."

"The entire responsibility for disaster relief is entrusted to Prince Jing. He is hereby ordered to depart for Yuezhou immediately."

This matter has now been settled.

Xiao Jinghuan staggered out of the main hall, his face ashen.

He had a vague feeling that all of this seemed to be part of someone's plan.

He had no clue what to do yet.

Zhu Houcong had already made preparations.

That very night, they controlled Zhu Shou to provide him with a clue.

Chapter 187 Deputy General Wei Zheng, who is in charge of apprehending Lin Shu

The night was deep, but candlelight flickered inside the Eastern Palace.

Xiao Jinghuan sat alone at the desk, his face ashen.

"Something's not right..." he muttered to himself.

Unlike the deposed Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan, who was only capable of incompetent rage, Xiao Jinghuan was known for his meticulous thinking.

At this moment, he keenly realized that behind this seemingly accidental incident, there must be someone secretly stirring things up.

"Who exactly is plotting against me?"

At that moment, he thought of Qin Banruo.

If Qin Banruo were here, with her intelligence, she might be able to help me analyze the mastermind's motives.

pity!

Thinking of Qin Banruo, Xiao Jinghuan was suddenly overcome with intense regret.

In order to please his father, the emperor, he offered Qin Banruo to the palace, thinking that she would be of great help.

Unexpectedly, it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone and never to return.

He never saw Qin Banruo again.

Xiao Jinghuan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and began to carefully sort out the matter.

Just then, a gust of cold wind suddenly blew open the palace door, causing the candlelight to flicker violently.

Xiao Jinghuan looked up abruptly, only to find nothing outside the door.

However, he did not notice that a shadow had silently appeared behind him.

"It seems His Highness the Crown Prince is quite troubled!"

The next second, a deep voice suddenly boomed in Xiao Jinghuan's ear, startling him so much that he trembled all over.

He turned around abruptly and saw an ordinary-looking middle-aged man standing behind him.

She was looking at him with a half-smile.

Who are you?

Xiao Jinghuan shouted sternly, his right hand already stealthily reaching for the short sword under the table.

The man, however, calmly bowed and greeted the woman.

"My name is Zhu Shou, and I have come here specifically to share His Highness the Crown Prince's burdens."

That's right, this person is Zhu Shou, who is being controlled by Zhu Houcong.

"Help me?"

Xiao Jinghuan narrowed his eyes, suppressing the shock in his heart.

"Doesn't Your Highness want to know who is plotting against you behind your back?"

"What do you know?"

Zhu Shou smiled slightly: "I know that it is Mei Changsu who is plotting against you behind your back."

"Mei Changsu?"

"Ha ha ha ha…"

Xiao Jinghuan laughed loudly upon hearing this, and looked at Zhu Shou with disdain.

"You're joking, aren't you? Mei Changsu is my trusted advisor. I was able to ascend to the position of Crown Prince entirely thanks to his planning."

"You dare to say that he's plotting against me?"

Zhu Shou shrugged and said calmly, "Is that so? What if I told you that he's actually a remnant of the Crimson Flame Army?"

"Remnants of the Crimson Flame?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghuan's brows furrowed sharply.

"That's right. Mei Changsu entered the capital under an assumed name and helped you ascend to the position of Crown Prince, but it was all to make you and the deposed Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan mutually weaken each other."

"While you were fighting to the death, he was secretly supporting Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan. Think about it, why did Xiao Jingyan rise from an unfavored prince to become the seven-bead prince he is today?"

Why would he help Prince Jing?

"Because only Prince Jing would exonerate the Chiyan Army."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghuan's expression shifted between light and dark. After a long pause, he said, "What you say sounds quite plausible, but unfortunately, I still don't believe someone of unknown origin like you."

Zhu Houcong, controlling Zhu Shou, continued speaking.

"Your Highness, you might want to think about this carefully. All previous escort missions have been successful, so why was it that this time it was robbed by the Jiangzuo Alliance?"

"They did it on purpose, deliberately robbing the goods, and deliberately letting Cai Quan discover them."

"As a result, your disaster relief job was taken away by Xiao Jingyan."

"When he returns from his disaster relief mission, his prestige in court will surely rise even higher, while you, the dignified Crown Prince, will be forced to issue an edict of self-reproach and confined to the Eastern Palace. Tsk tsk tsk!"

As he said this, he deliberately shook his head and made clicking noises.

How tragic!

As Xiao Jinghuan listened, his heart grew heavier.

Is everything this person said true?

He scrutinized Zhu Shou and demanded, "Do you have any evidence?"

Zhu Shou smiled mysteriously.

Of course there is evidence!

Zhu Houcong remembered that although the Chiyan Army was wiped out at Meiling, Wei Zheng, the deputy general of the Chiyu Battalion under Mei Changsu, was still alive.

Not only did he not die, but he also transformed into Su Xuan, the young master of Medicine King Valley, and lived a fulfilling life.

Once Wei Zheng is captured and escorted to the capital, Mei Changsu will be very busy.

"Has Your Highness ever heard of the Medicine King Valley in the Western Regions?"

"Su Tianshu, the master of Medicine King Valley, ranks seventh on the Langya Rich List. Most of the medicinal herbs in the world come from Medicine King Valley. How could I not know that?"

"Have you heard of Su Tianshu's adopted son, named Su Xuan, whom he took in at some unknown time?"

"I have heard of this. Although the young master of Medicine King Valley is not very famous, he married Yun Piaomiao, the only daughter of the Yun family of Laiyang, a family of doctors and benevolent people. This has become a popular story."

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Shou's eyes, and he gave the answer directly.

"Your Highness, Su Xuan's true identity is none other than Wei Zheng, Lin Shu's former deputy general."

How can you be so sure?

"Whether it is true or not, Your Highness may wish to reveal this matter to Xia Jiang, the head of the Suspended Mirror Division. He was personally present when the Crimson Flame Army was destroyed."

"Many people in the capital have seen Wei Zheng. As long as Chief Xia captures him and brings him back to the capital for a proper interrogation, the truth will come out."

Xiao Jinghuan responded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

"Then I will observe in secret to see if the Jiangzuo Alliance will come to my rescue."

"Exactly."

Zhu Shou laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be immediately clear whether Mei Changsu is a former member of the Chiyan Army?"

"Moreover, this plan could also drag Prince Jing into it."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Jinghuan asked hurriedly.

"Your Highness, imagine how Prince Jing would react if he knew that the person captured was his good brother Lin Shu's deputy general?"

Xiao Jinghuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"He will definitely try his best to rescue them."

"That's right, and what His Majesty fears most is someone bringing up the old case of the Chiyan Army. If Prince Jing acts rashly, his standing in His Majesty's eyes will likely plummet."

Xiao Jinghuan couldn't help but gasp after hearing this.

"What a cunning scheme! Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Shou immediately cupped his hands in a respectful bow.

"My name is Zhu Shou, and I am merely someone who wholeheartedly wishes to serve the court. If I can take this opportunity to serve Your Highness, I only hope that Your Highness will give me much guidance in the future."

"Okay, it's a deal."