All Heavens: From Joy of Life to The Great Feng Night Watchman

Upon hearing this, Jingni said with some surprise, "One Fan Xian has actually involved so many people."

"The emperor personally summoned him, the eldest princess personally orchestrated the plan, the crown prince helped, and there was also the second prince who stirred things up."

Li Chang'an pondered for a moment and said, "Li Yunrui must have received some information, so he turned his complaint into a life-or-death plea for justice."

"This woman is insane. There are too many strange things about this case, so it won't be easy to get it through the trial."

Wang Qinian asked, "Your Highness, is there anything else I need to do?"

Li Chang'an smiled calmly, "No need. Now that the victim has died in court, no matter how the verdict is, Fan Xian's reputation will never be cleansed."

"His Majesty will not allow Fan Xian to be convicted of a serious crime, but the Crown Prince and Li Yunrui will be severely punished and have many of their supporters clipped."

"The court is in too much chaos right now. We should wait and see how things develop, and focusing on developing ourselves is the most important thing."

Kyoto Prefectural Government Office.

A man dressed in a green robe and with a strange strand of hair slowly walked in.

Mei Zhili, along with all the officials, knelt down below the hall, while Fan Xian stood there dumbfounded.

The second prince didn't seem to care, and simply waved for everyone to get up.

“Prefect Mei, have someone dispose of that assassin’s body. It’s an eyesore to leave it there.”

While ordering people to collect the corpses, Mei Zhili said, "Death warrior... Second Prince, what makes you say that?"

The Second Prince sat down next to Mei Zhili. "It's nothing. You just focus on your case. I'm just here to listen."

"However, Kyoto is a city full of all sorts of people, so don't wrong an innocent person."

Fan Xian is going to the capital to get married and take over the Imperial Treasury, which means he will become an enemy of the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess's faction.

The second prince, who was vying for power with the crown prince, naturally had to unite with this enemy of his enemy.

Emperor Qing's decision to grant the marriage was so resolute that even Chen Pingping and Li Yunrui's objections were ineffective, which naturally made Li Chengze realize Fan Xian's importance.

Fan Xian hasn't figured out the situation yet, and a prince has arrived, seemingly to his aid.

Mei Zhili sat down again and said to the plaintiff, "Please state your identity and place of residence clearly."

He certainly understood the Second Prince's implication: there was something wrong with the identities of these two women!

However, just as the woman opened her mouth, another announcement came from outside the door.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Mei Zhili, who had barely settled in, stood up again and led a group of people to kneel on the ground.

The Crown Prince walked into the main hall with a cold face. He saw Fan Xian standing there, refusing to kneel, but pretended not to see him.

He knew that Fan Xian had the waist badge of the Supervisory Bureau, which was directly under the control of Emperor Qing. The Supervisory Bureau held a high position and great power, so he didn't have to kneel.

However, Fan Xian is unaware of this matter at the moment.

He didn't kneel, simply out of the instinct of a time traveler; he wasn't used to kneeling.

At this moment, Fan Xian discovered a very comical scene.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince sat on either side of Mei Zhili, who was sandwiched in the middle and felt very uncomfortable.

The Crown Prince was adamant: "The plaintiff's statement in this case is clear, and the witness testimony is conclusive."

"To commit indecent assault in the street and ruin someone's reputation—Prefect Mei should immediately convict Fan Xian!"

The Second Prince said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince's statement is different!"

Who would insult a woman in the street? Would a normal person do that? There must be more to this case than meets the eye!

The Crown Prince roared, "Second Prince, are you out of your mind! It is precisely because Fan Xian is dissolute and shameless that he has committed such a heinous act!"

"A life has already been lost. If we don't convict Fan Xian as soon as possible, how can we explain this to the world!"

Li Chengze was not buying it at all. "It is unusual for a weak woman to be able to break free from two yamen runners hitting a pillar. There is something fishy about this case."

The two argued for a few more minutes, and then Mei Zhili suddenly walked down to the hall and knelt down before the two princes.

"Your Highnesses, this judicial case in Kyoto Prefecture is none of your concern. We request that you recuse yourselves!"

Mei Zhili wasn't stupid; only now did he understand the meaning behind Jing Ni's words last night.

Those words were a reminder to him that the Emperor Qing would not allow members of the imperial clan to interfere in the affairs of the capital, and that his association with the Crown Prince had already violated a taboo.

Today's event is the last chance to demonstrate loyalty to Emperor Qing and sever ties with the Crown Prince in order to save my life.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were both somewhat taken aback. Mei Zhili, who was usually so agreeable and easygoing, was actually so assertive!

The Crown Prince, in particular, looked extremely displeased!

Just before he arrived, the palace returned the paintings he had given them and even tore up several of the precious pieces by hand!

Is Mei Zhili now trying to distance himself from me? What's going on?

Fan Xian was even more confused. Everything seemed to be directed at him, but the whole power struggle had nothing to do with him!

Kyoto is too dangerous; let's go back to Danzhou!

The Crown Prince said sternly, "Mei Zhili, do you know what you're saying?"

Mei Zhili's face was covered in sweat, but he had already struggled internally and now there was no way out.

Putting everything else aside, that female assassin from last night could have killed him at any moment.

With such a high level of cultivation, he is probably around the ninth rank, and not someone that an ordinary person can command.

In fact, he was pretty sure that the other party was someone from the inner court.

"This old minister, Mei Zhili, has been deeply favored by the Emperor and holds a key position in the capital region. I beg Your Highnesses not to put this old minister in a difficult position!"

"If Your Highnesses do not leave..."

The crown prince instantly flew into a rage, shouting fiercely, "Even if I refuse to back down, can you send someone to arrest me?!"

"Mei Zhili, are you getting senile? I'll give you one more chance!"

"Say it again if you dare!"

Mei Zhili kowtowed to the ground, saying, "If Your Highnesses do not step aside, this old minister will remain kneeling forever!"

The crown prince was dumbfounded, completely unable to believe that his people had suddenly become disobedient.

The second prince suddenly laughed, then whispered to the crown prince, "Let's go, they won't listen to us."

The Crown Prince suddenly looked up, his eyes showing some panic. The Second Prince meant that Mei Zhili should listen to others.

So who does this old man listen to? How dare he drive away two princes? It can only be Emperor Qing!

The Crown Prince felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about Gong Dian's reaction today; the old man was going to punish him!

Gong Dian was reprimanded by the old man and immediately distanced himself from him. Could it be that Mei Zhili did the same?

"Ahem! Second brother, we brothers had an appointment to go have hot pot with Uncle Yong today, how did we end up here all of a sudden?"

Li Chengze narrowed his eyes and said, "It's all the fault of my men for not knowing the streets, causing me and the Crown Prince to take the wrong turn."

The Crown Prince smiled and said to Prefect Mei, "Prefect Mei, please don't misunderstand, we are just passing by."

"We'll leave right away, so as not to delay your trial, hehehe!"

Chapter 69 Li Chengqian, do you have a pig's brain?! (45)

Kyoto Prefectural Government Office.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince ran off in a flash, without any further hesitation.

Mei Zhili raised his head, and Fan Xian noticed that the place where the old man was kneeling was wet. Being an official is really frustrating!

"Detain both the plaintiff and the defendant and interrogate them separately. I need their statements before nightfall!"

"Officer Zhang, take your men to investigate the area around Qing Temple. Make sure to follow the case-handling procedures exactly, and don't make any mistakes!"

“Registrar Li, the entire trial process of the case must be recorded. Do not miss a single word or action of the two princes.”

"This case will be handled strictly according to regulations; no one can plead for leniency!"

Fan Xian, being quite tactful, cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Lord Mei is truly a just and upright official; this humble subject is deeply grateful!"

Mei Zhili snorted coldly, "Stop with the sweet talk and flattery, take him to the cell and interrogate him thoroughly!"

into the night.

Mei Zhili knelt down outside the Imperial Study, holding a stack of documents and memorials.

He had just knelt down, preparing to wait for an hour or two as usual, when Eunuch Hou came to deliver a message.

"Lord Mei, His Majesty requests your presence!"

Mei Zhili felt more than ten years younger. In all the years he had sought an audience with His Majesty, he had never been able to see him so quickly.

It seems that the person who came to warn me last night was most likely an imperial spy!

However, he knew the rules; this kind of thing should never be said out loud!

After Fan Xian explained the details of the Red Armor Army and the area near the Qing Temple, Mei Zhili became even more confident, knowing that Fan Xian was someone His Majesty valued.

"Your Majesty, this case is probably not simple. It is definitely not just about Fan Xian insulting a woman in the street."