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

The Taoist's phoenix eyes seemed to hold the stars and moon, and his body was surrounded by an indescribable aura of otherworldly grace, making him seem like an immortal.

What an ethereal and otherworldly figure!

Xiao Jingting was secretly shocked. This Taoist priest with such extraordinary demeanor was far beyond the reach of ordinary martial arts practitioners.

Xiao Jingting unconsciously straightened his clothes and said gently, "What advice do you have for me, Daoist Master?"

Zhu Qi lightly flicked the whisk in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Your Highness, I have come today to present you with a white hat."

White hat?

Xiao Jingting frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He subconsciously raised his hand to adjust his jade crown.

Send a white hat?

What does this mean?

and many more!

The character "王" (wang) combined with "白" (bai) could mean...?

The thought exploded in his mind like a thunderclap, and Xiao Jingting's pupils suddenly contracted, his back instantly tensing up.

He suddenly looked up and stared intently at the mysterious Taoist priest in front of him.

Zhu Qi took in his reaction, and the smile on her lips deepened.

At the same time, Zhu Houcong, far away in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, also revealed the same mysterious smile, his fingertips gently tapping on the dragon desk.

"Your Highness's thinking is correct."

Zhu Qi flicked his whisk and looked up at the night sky.

"This humble Taoist observed the celestial phenomena last night and saw the Purple Star shining brightly upon the Prince Yu's residence, its brilliance even surpassing that of the Eastern Palace."

His voice lowered, but every word was as firm as a hammer blow.

"This morning, auspicious purple clouds traveled three thousand miles eastward, a sign from Heaven."

"The next emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty will undoubtedly be His Highness the Third Prince."

As soon as these words were spoken, a cold wind suddenly arose, stirring up the snow that had covered the ground.

"This humble Taoist has come specifically to assist Your Highness in achieving your great cause."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingting's lips curled into a bitter smile, his face appearing even more forlorn.

"The Taoist priest must have misjudged."

"I am but an ordinary prince, older than Prince Yu and Prince Jing, and I have not even been granted the title of Prince. How dare I covet that position?"

"Your Highness, why belittle yourself? A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and clouds."

Zhu Qi leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "Now is the time for Your Highness to transform into a dragon."

Xiao Jingting's eyes flickered slightly: "Oh? What do you mean by that, Daoist Master?"

"Has Your Highness heard of the case of the Duke of Qing's encroachment on Binzhou?"

"Of course I know that this case has caused a great uproar throughout the city, shaking both the government and the public."

Zhu Qi (Zhu Houcong) nodded in satisfaction and continued, "The Duke of Qing holds a high position and wields great power, so this case must be presided over by the prince."

"And since he is a member of Prince Yu's faction, His Majesty would never hand this case over to Prince Yu or the Crown Prince."

"As for Prince Jing, he is too upright and does not understand the Emperor's intentions, so His Majesty will not choose him."

"so…"

Zhu Qi drew out the last syllable meaningfully, "Your Highness, you are the best choice."

Xiao Jingting frowned slightly, and asked suspiciously, "Daoist Master, you're just guessing..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of hurried horse hooves in the distance.

"His Royal Highness Prince Yu, stay."

Yan Song's distinctive high-pitched voice was exceptionally clear.

Xiao Jingting's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Eunuch Yan, why have you come in person?"

Yan Song, slightly out of breath, stood still, his face beaming with smiles: "Your Highness, this old servant has come to convey His Majesty's oral decree."

He cleared his throat and said solemnly, "His Majesty has decreed that the case of the Duke of Qing be jointly tried by the Three Judicial Offices, with His Highness Prince Yu presiding."

"what?"

Xiao Jingting was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue.

He subconsciously turned to look at Zhu Qi, only to see the Taoist standing tall to the side with a faint smile on his face, making him appear even more unfathomable.

The Taoist priest was right!

Who is he?

Xiao Jingting felt a moment of dizziness.

The prophecy that Zhu Qi had just said seemed to echo in my ears: "A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and clouds."

"Your Highness? Your Highness?"

Yan Song, not understanding why, called out softly.

Only then did he wake up from his dream.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Xiao Jingting quickly bowed and said, "Your subject will certainly handle the case impartially and live up to Your Majesty's expectations."

Yan Song nodded: "Then this old servant will take his leave."

As he was leaving, he glanced at Zhu Qi standing to the side, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but ultimately he didn't ask any further questions.

After Yan Song's figure disappeared around the street corner, Xiao Jingting took a deep breath, immediately turned around, and quickly walked up to Zhu Qi.

His voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Sir, you are truly a divine being! My father has actually entrusted this case to me."

Zhu Qi almost burst out laughing, his heart filled with smugness.

Silly son,

I am your father!

His gaze was deep as he slowly said, "Your Highness, this case presents a golden opportunity."

"If it's handled well, he'll be promoted to a Five-Bead Prince in no time."

"At that time, Your Highness will hold the power of the Imperial Guards, and the Crown Prince and Prince Yu will surely compete to win you over."

"You can then be successful in all directions and secretly accumulate power."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Xiao Jingting's eyes. He suddenly bowed deeply, his wide sleeves trailing to the ground.

"Please teach me, sir!"

Zhu Qi reached out a hand to help him up: "Of course, of course. As long as Your Highness has lofty ambitions, this humble Taoist can send Your Highness straight to the clouds!"

The Crown Prince has Xie Yu, Prince Yu has Qin Banruo, and Prince Jing has Mei Changsu.

If no one were to instigate Prince Yu, Xiao Jingting, how could they possibly fight each other even more fiercely?

Moreover, in the case of the Duke of Qing, Xiao Jingting needed his "advice and strategies" to ensure that things would proceed as he had predicted.

After all, he didn't trust his foolish son to handle things!

If Mei Changsu were to use some trick to make Xiao Jingting mess things up, then he would have no choice but to hand the matter over to Prince Jing.

He strongly suspected that Mei Changsu might actually do this in order to get Prince Jing to preside over the trial.

After hearing Zhu Qi's words, Xiao Jingting's gaze became firm.

"In that case, please come to the Prince's residence, sir. I would like to have a long talk with you."

Zhu Qi nodded with a smile, and the two walked side by side toward the Yu Prince's Mansion.

Chapter 40 Zheng Bichang's name sounds auspicious

The night was as dark as ink, and Meng Zhi quietly sneaked into the Su residence.

This is the house he chose for Mei Changsu, with the Prince Jing's Mansion right behind it.

However, the two residences belonged to different streets and could not be connected at all.

"Xiao Shu, something's happened."

As soon as Meng Zhi stepped into the inner room, he lowered his voice and said urgently.

"His Majesty has chosen Prince Yu to preside over the trial of the Duke of Qing's case."

Mei Changsu's teacup trembled slightly, and the clear tea soup rippled.

His brow furrowed, and he muttered to himself, "I had overlooked the variable of Prince Yu..."

Failed.

This usually low-profile third prince, apart from being granted the title of Prince Yu some time ago and concurrently serving as the Inspector General of the Imperial Guard, has almost no presence in the court.

Unexpectedly, this person was so favored by the emperor.

Seeing Mei Changsu's solemn expression, Meng Zhi couldn't help but ask, "What do we do now?"

"If Prince Yu takes over this case, what will be the next steps..."

"It's alright."

Mei Changsu put down his teacup, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Li Gang, is Master Chang, the key witness in the case of the Duke of Qing, still under our surveillance?"

Li Gang immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Reporting to the Sect Master, this person has always been under our control."

"Go and arrest him."

"Remember, do it cleanly and efficiently; never let anyone know his whereabouts."

"Understood!"

Li Gang accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Meng Zhi frowned upon hearing this and couldn't help but step forward.

"Xiao Shu, what are you doing?"

"How can the investigation into the case of the Duke of Qing be carried out if key witnesses are hidden?"

A cold smile curled at the corners of Mei Changsu's lips, and a chilling glint flashed in his phoenix eyes.

"I want to make sure they can't solve the case."

He slowly got up and looked out the window, his white sleeves fluttering in the night breeze.

"This case was meticulously prepared by me for Jingyan."

"No one but him can solve the case."

Outside the window, a gust of cold wind howled past, causing the candlelight to flicker violently.

As Meng Zhi gazed at Mei Changsu's face, flickering in and out of the light and shadow, he suddenly felt a chill.

The strategist before me, so adept at planning and strategizing, seemed completely different from the honest and straightforward young man I remembered.

He quickly advised, "The case of the Duke of Qing concerns the affairs of the state; the nation should be the priority, and solving the case as soon as possible is the right thing to do!"

Mei Changsu turned around abruptly, his eyes burning with a mad flame.

"Brother Meng, don't you understand?"

"Only when Jingyan ascends the throne can this corrupt court be transformed!"