Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 397 Brothers Standoff, Close Your Eyes When It Gets Dark! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Three officials from the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate stood solemnly outside the main hall of the Crown Prince's residence, dressed in their respective official robes.

Two teams of constables followed behind them, the atmosphere heavy and out of place with the somber atmosphere inside the Crown Prince's residence.

"Your Highness, please proceed to the Three Departments for questioning."

Zhang Yung-gu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, spoke in a low voice, yet his tone carried an unquestionable air of official business.

Inside the hall, Ma Zhou, Cen Wenben, and others had ashen faces.

Pei Xingjian gripped the sword at his waist, his eyes flashing with cold light.

The assassination attempt on the prince is an utterly baseless accusation!

The Crown Prince had barely returned to Chang'an when the other side couldn't wait to reveal this insidious blade!
It's really abominable!
Sun Fujia, Zhang Yunggu's superior, immediately launched into a tirade: "Zhang Yunggu! What do you mean?! Have you forgotten who gave you your current position? You ungrateful wretch!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunggu couldn't help but explain with a bitter face, "Lord Sun, this is His Majesty's decree, and it's not a real joint trial by the three judicial departments. It's been handed over to Lords Dai Zhou, Liu Ji, and Chu Suiliang for trial in the name of the three judicial departments. We are just here to inquire!"

"I see. It seems my wise and mighty father was quite fair and just after all!"

Li Chengqian smiled, a smile with an indescribable playfulness.

In fact, Li Shimin's actions were not hard to guess; he did not believe that Li Chengqian would send someone to assassinate Li You.

But with the 'facts' before him, he had no choice but to have someone investigate the matter thoroughly.

That's why he chose to have his own people involved, rather than others whom he didn't trust.

Li Ke and his group planned to use this incident to prevent Li Chengqian from retaliating against them.

Having grasped the key point, Li Chengqian stood up, dusted off non-existent dust from his black martial attire, and glanced at the worried crowd in the hall: "Ma Zhou and Cen Wenben will temporarily take charge of all matters in the manor. Pei Xingjian, keep a close eye on the Shu Prince's manor and all the pharmacies and water sources in the city!"

"Inform Xi Jun as soon as possible that the curfew tonight is strictly enforced!"

"Laifu, take good care of my mother and siblings. Do everything you can to meet any needs that Doctor Sun may have!"

"Your Highness!" Pei Xingjian said urgently, "This journey is fraught with danger! It would be better for this humble general to take over."

“Danger?” Li Chengqian interrupted him, a cold smile curving his lips: “If they dare to lay a finger on me, I’ll turn this Three Departments into a battlefield!”

"Don't worry, they invited me to 'interrogate' them, not to torture them. Let's go, don't keep them waiting."

After saying this, he strode out of the hall and headed straight for the unmarked blue cloth carriage parked outside.

His posture was more like that of a king inspecting his subjects than a suspect being summoned.

Upon seeing this, the two teams of constables looked at each other in bewilderment and for a moment forgot to urge them on.

Only when Li Chengqian's figure disappeared behind the carriage curtain did they snap out of their daze and hurriedly follow.

The carriage moved silently toward the Three Departments, which symbolized the highest judicial authority of the Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, the Shouzhulang's secret stronghold in Chang'an.

Wu Bing and Liu Yun were kneeling on one knee, respectfully bowing to the person in front of them: "Your subordinates greet the Garrison Commander!"

"Well, how are the preparations going?"

The guard, whose figure was hidden beneath a black robe, turned his back to the two men and asked in a peculiar voice.

Wu Bing and Liu Yun exchanged a glance, then Wu Bing spoke first: "Reporting to the Garrison Commander, Li Chengqian has already returned to Chang'an and is currently being interrogated by the Three Judicial Offices. As for Li Ke, I personally planted a mother-child Gu gu within him, and we are now cooperating with the Plague Doctor to distribute an enhanced version of 'Plague-Clearing Powder'."

That's not what I was asking!

"what?"

Wu Bing looked completely bewildered and quickly looked at Liu Yun.

But then Liu Yun said thoughtfully, "Reporting to the Garrison Commander, the matter in the Southern Frontier has been resolved, and what we requested will be delivered soon. As for Hou Junji, he has accepted our terms and is preparing to take action as agreed!"

"Well, good job!"

The garrison commander nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at the two of them, clapped his hands, and said lightly, "I'll show you two something fun."

Fun?
Wu Bing and Liu Yun were both taken aback and couldn't help but turn their heads to look outside the door.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked; once I did, my eyes almost popped out.

"Li Chengqian!?"

Wu Bing cried out in alarm at the first moment, then immediately drew his sword and assumed an attack stance.

Liu Yun, on the other hand, stepped aside with an incredulous expression, remaining equally vigilant.

"Hehe, my lords, there's no need to be nervous. I am not Li Chengqian!"

The man, who looked exactly like Li Chengqian, smiled and comforted the two of them before walking straight to the garrison commander. He bowed respectfully and said, "Your subordinate, Bai Tong, greets the garrison commander!"

"Hmm, Bai Tong's disguise skills are becoming more and more superb. Even I almost didn't recognize him!" The garrison commander smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Wu Bing and Liu Yun: "With Bai Tong's assistance, I believe things in Chang'an will be much simpler!"

Wu Bing and Liu Yun glanced at Bai Tong with surprise and uncertainty, then bowed in unison: "Yes!"

Bai Tong, the guard of the Lang Liangren, is not a Lang Jiang, but his status is no lower than that of a Lang Jiang.

It can be said that he is the only good man who can be compared with the general when it comes to guarding the city.

His special skill was the mysterious and unpredictable art of disguise.

Although Wu Bing and Liu Yun had both heard of his name, they had never seen what he looked like.

Because of his appearance, even among the guards, he remains a mystery.

In addition, he has a younger sister whose disguise skills are no less impressive than his.

"Why does the garrison commander only praise my brother? Has my disguise skill not improved at all?"

Just as Wu Bing and his companion were reminiscing about Bai Tong's younger sister, a voice that seemed to be both laughing and not laughing suddenly came from outside the door.

They looked in the direction of the sound and their pupils immediately contracted.

How come even she was disguised?!

On the other side, the Three Departments Office.

The interior was simply furnished with a long table, a few chairs, and thick walls that blocked out the outside world. Only a dim oil lamp flickered on the table, illuminating several faces that were serious, tense, or scrutinizing.

Li Chengqian sat in the main seat.

This seat was supposed to be for the presiding judge, but he took it naturally after he came in, and the three presiding judges sat at the lower end of the table instead.

He leaned back in his chair, relaxed and even somewhat languid, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop.

The sound was exceptionally clear and oppressive in the quiet room.

Dai Zhou cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound authoritative: "Your Highness, the reason I have invited you here is to address the assassination attempt on Prince Yan in Youzhou. There are witness testimonies and physical evidence pointing to Your Highness as the mastermind behind it all. This matter concerns the imperial bloodline and the safety of the nation. I urge Your Highness to tell the truth and cooperate with the investigation."

"Physical evidence? Witness testimony?"

Li Chengqian didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice flat and emotionless: "Tell me about it."

Chu Suiliang quickly interjected, "Your Highness, there are weapons left behind by the assassins, bearing the unique markings of the Crown Prince's guards. Another captured assassin, unable to withstand torture, confessed that he was instructed by a subordinate official surnamed Zhang from the Crown Prince's Palace, and presented the Crown Prince's Palace token as proof."

After he finished speaking, he carefully observed Li Chengqian's expression.

Liu Ji added coldly, "Your Highness, we have both witnesses and physical evidence, and the evidence points clearly. His Majesty is furious and has ordered a thorough investigation. We hope Your Highness will not put us in a difficult position."

"The mark of the Crown Prince's Guard? The Crown Prince's token?"

Li Chengqian finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the three men like a cold lightning bolt, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth: "I stopped playing these kinds of frame-up tricks when I was three years old. If I really wanted to kill Li You, would I need to send assassins? Would I need to leave such obvious evidence? You're judging cases based on this flawed evidence?"

"His Royal Highness!"

Liu Ji, unable to contain his anger any longer, immediately roared, "Now we are judging you, not the other way around! Watch your words! We represent His Majesty! Are you going to disobey the imperial decree?"

"Oh, Liu Sima, what an air of authority! You think you can represent His Majesty? Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

Li Chengqian chuckled as he called out Liu Ji's former official position, seemingly not taking his current position seriously.

Liu Ji was so angry that he wanted to use torture, but he didn't dare. He could only look at the other two presiding judges, hoping that they would share his hatred.

Dai Zhou, looking embarrassed, said, "Your Highness, the evidence is right before our eyes. It's not that we don't believe it. It's just that the procedure is as it is. Your Highness still needs to explain the origin of these weapons and tokens, as well as the specific movements of Your Highness and the Eastern Palace at the time of the incident."

"An explanation?" Li Chengqian leaned forward slightly, the dim light reflecting off his deep eyes, creating a chilling sense of oppression. "Do I need to explain myself to you? Or do you think that these few things are enough to convict the Crown Prince?"

"I don't dare!"

Dai Zhou quickly stood up and clasped his hands in greeting, sweat beading on his forehead. Just then, the heavy door to the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open!

"Li Chengqian! You sent assassins to kill me, and you still dare to be so arrogant! Do you really think the laws of my Great Tang Dynasty are a joke?!"

Li You appeared in the main hall of the Three Departments, his shoulder wrapped in gauze, his anger barely contained.

Following behind him was his uncle, Yin Zhihong.

Li Chengqian was slightly surprised, seemingly not expecting Li You to be here. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice: "Brother You, what's going on?"

"What, are you surprised I'm still alive? Thanks to you, that dagger almost pierced my heart!"

Li You sneered, then turned to the three presiding judges and said, "He is the Crown Prince, so you dare not interrogate him? What orders are you following?!"

"this."

The three presiding judges looked at each other, bewildered.

But then Yin Zhihong, standing behind Li You, coldly said, "If His Majesty's decree can be so easily dismissed, then the laws of the Tang Dynasty are simply meaningless! After all, murder is not illegal!"

"Chief Secretary Yin, be careful what you say!"

Dai Zhou immediately straightened his face, then looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, if you do not explain clearly, I will have no choice but to proceed according to official procedures!"

"Alright, let's handle this officially then! I have nothing to explain, you can just throw me in jail!"

Li Chengqian stood up nonchalantly, then walked up to Li You and said with a smile, "My foolish brother, use your pig brain to think carefully. What is your motive for killing you? What do you have that makes you worth killing? Or perhaps..."

He paused, glanced at Yin Zhihong with a mocking look, and said indifferently, "You were used?"

"This"

Li You was slightly taken aback and was about to speak in his defense when he suddenly realized that Li Chengqian had already turned and walked towards the prison cell.

"No, Your Highness, we didn't say we were going to imprison you!"

As if realizing what was happening, Chu Suiliang quickly gave chase.

Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "You invited me here? You have no solid evidence, and the Prince of Yan has traveled a great distance to accuse me. Naturally, I will give you time to investigate."

"I'll be released only when the truth is revealed and I'm cleared of all charges. Remember, it's about finding out the truth, not wasting time."

"this."

Chu Suiliang immediately stopped and turned to look at the two presiding judges, Liu Ji and Dai Zhou.

But Liu Ji said in a deep voice, "If he wants to stay, let him stay. Anyway, we still need to question him until his crimes are cleared up!"

"But, His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"What's wrong with Your Highness? Am I not Prince Yan?"

Li You angrily retorted, "Investigate for me! Get to the bottom of this!"

Upon hearing this, Dai Zhou and the other two fell silent.

Outside the interrogation room, an official who appeared to be a warden was cautiously peeking through the crack in the door, whispering to a trusted jailer beside him, "Quickly! Report to His Highness the Prince of Shu! The Crown Prince is being held captive in the Three Judicial Offices interrogation room by the Prince of Yan! He can't get out for the time being!"

The jailer understood and immediately slipped away like an eel.

The Shu Prince's Mansion, Li Ke's study.

Although the effects of the Gu worms were not as strong as when he was first poisoned, Li Ke still could not forget the fact that he had been poisoned.

Therefore, he had been secretly searching for a way to break the Gu worm.

Unfortunately, there is almost no record of Gu worms in orthodox medical books.

"Damn it! Those damned guards!"

Li Ke angrily threw the medical book on the ground and then cursed at the guard.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the King of Shu! The Plague Doctor requests an audience!"

"Ok?"

Li Ke frowned, then immediately picked up the medical book that had been thrown on the ground, hiding it behind the bookshelf as he coldly said, "Let him in!"

"Yes!"

Soon, the plague doctor appeared in Li Ke's study with his sallow face.

"Your Highness, good news! The Garrison Commander has arrived in Chang'an!"

"really?!"

Li Ke suddenly turned around, his face filled with disbelief, surprise, and astonishment.

"It's absolutely true! This is what Wu Bing told me. Our plan can begin now!"

"Hahaha! That's great! That's really great!"

Li Ke couldn't help but burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the study, as if the cursing of the guard had never happened.

Just then, another report came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has been trapped in the interrogation room of the Three Departments by the Prince of Yan and cannot get out!"

"Ok?"

Li Ke was slightly taken aback, wondering why Li You had returned.
But the next moment he understood that the arrival of the garrison commander in Chang'an meant that the operation to deal with Li Chengqian had begun, so it was not surprising that Li You returned to Chang'an.

After all, Li You's uncle, Yin Zhihong, had long been in cahoots with the Shouzhulang.

"Ah!"

Having figured everything out, Li Ke couldn't help but sneer and said, "Li Chengqian, no matter how outstanding your martial arts are, or how decisive you are in killing, what good are you? Before the laws of the court, you still have to obediently bow your head! Let's see how you clear your name of the crime of assassinating a prince!"

A sinister smile appeared on the sallow face of the plague doctor, who then reminded him, "However, now is not the time for us to be happy. Although Li Chengqian is already trapped, he is still a cornered beast and his claws are still there. Pei Xingjian's Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xi Junmai's city defense troops, and Ma Zhou and Cen Wenben are not to be underestimated."

"So what?" Li Ke's eyes gleamed with madness. "Once he enters the Three Departments, he's just meat on a chopping block! Do his men dare to rebel? As long as we act quickly enough, we can set the entire city of Chang'an ablaze before they even realize what's happening!"

As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something, abruptly turning to the plague doctor and urgently asking, "How is your 'miracle medicine' being prepared? Tonight at midnight, we must let the whole of Chang'an see 'hope'!"

"Your Highness, rest assured, all the secret workshops are operating at full capacity, and the first batch of enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder' is enough to cover the East Market, West Market, and more than ten surrounding workshops!"

"Stronger effects, faster onset, and greater dependence... hehe, even greater!"

"If they get even a little bit of it, those people will be like flies that smell blood, and they'll never be able to leave us!"

"it is good!"

Li Ke slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clink: "Immediately arrange for manpower to secretly deploy them in key areas at midnight!"

"Remember, be quick and discreet!"

"We must make this enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder' appear silently and unexpectedly among those desperate people, like a gentle rain from heaven! At the same time, send all our people out to fan the flames!"

His voice became shrill with excitement: "Tell all the people of Chang'an! Crown Prince Li Chengqian is a jinx! He not only brought war, but he will also cut off their only way to survive!"

"He drove away the divine physician from the Shu Prince's mansion and blocked the use of 'Qingwen Powder,' and now he even wants to take away the enhanced version of 'Qingwen Powder' that can save lives!"

"He wants to make the entire city of Chang'an pay with its life!"

"Everyone must know that only I, Prince Li Ke of Shu, and only the Prince of Shu's mansion are their only hope for survival! Anyone who dares to obstruct the distribution of the enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder' is an enemy of all the people of Chang'an!"

"Yes!"

The guards brought by the plague doctor responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with the same fervor.

The plague doctor added, "Your Highness, regarding public opinion, our people have already begun spreading the news in teahouses, taverns, and market corners. In addition to emphasizing the Crown Prince's crimes, we must also highlight the miraculous effects of the enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder,' and that it is limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-served basis!"

"Yes! Let them fight it! Let them fight until they're bloodied and battered!"

A venomous glint flashed in Li Ke's eyes: "Once the whole city goes crazy for the enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder,' once Li Chengqian is scorned by the people, let's see how he recovers!"

"Even if he eventually manages to leave the Three Departments, what can he do when faced with a completely out-of-control Chang'an that sees him as its mortal enemy? Hahaha!"

The study echoed with Li Ke's maniacal laughter and the cold, menacing responses of the Plague Doctor and others.

Time passed slowly.

It's almost midnight.

Close your eyes when it gets dark!
(End of this chapter)