Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 708 - 585: Meeting Prince Yi Again_1

Chapter 708: Chapter 585: Meeting Prince Yi Again_1

Li Xuan didn’t expect that the person knocking on the door outside the Jinkui Stone Room, was none other than ’Yu Jianshen, Prince Yi, the former Crown Prince.’

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, his face gloomy enough to drip water. Seeing Li Xuan, he deeply bowed to him.

"Today, I learned of the false accusations against the Emperor Father and the Regent Mother. With no maneuver to play, and no one to turn to for help, I could only swallow my pride and ask the Marquis of Guanjun to extend a helping hand."

Li Xuan looked surprised and puzzled in his face.

"Your Highness, what are you doing? Are you trying to make the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Censor accuse me of disrespect?"

He did not dare to accept the immense respect from Prince Yi and quickly stepped aside, then looked at the many Hanlin behind the Crown Prince with a confused look. "What has happened?"

In fact, his intelligence network was very well-informed. Since two months ago, the ’Shenyi Government’ had received substantial financial support.

Relying on these funds, Luo Yan began to operate a rather large network of informants.

This Luo Xiaowei had ’friends’ all over the world and could speak to any person, any power.

Although time had been limited, and this network of informants had not yet spread throughout the thirteen provinces, it had already begun to take shape in the north and south capitals. In addition, there were also information channels from the Shenqi Union and the mansion of Earl Chengyei as supplements.

So within the Capital City, even the slightest disturbance could not escape Li Xuan’s observant ears and eyes. Even events within the deep palaces were hard to keep hidden from Li Xuan.

However, this Jinkui Stone Room in the Hanlin Academy was isolated from the outside, rivaling the tomb of the Great Ancestor in scale, so Li Xuan had been ignorant of external affairs during his time inside.

One scholar among those from Hanlin Academy then sighed, "Just a moment ago, soldiers from your subordinates, ’left Shenji battalion,’ stationed themselves in Nan Palace and Ciqing Palace, besieging the palaces. Now not only the True Emperor but also the Empress Dowager has been put under house arrest.

It was reported that Lu Zhong, the brocade-clothed Qianhu, reported to the Jianguo accusing the True Emperor of attempting to stage a coup, claiming that he had won over the palace eunuch Ruan Lang through bribery, urging him to contact the ministers inside and outside the palace.

It was rumored that the True Emperor even specifically granted Ruan Lang his Dari Golden Knife as a token to win over the ministers. But the specifics we still cannot ascertain."

At this moment, Prince Yi, Yu Jianshen, once again deeply bowed to Li Xuan, "Marquis of Guanjun, since the Mongols invaded at the beginning of the year, the Emperor Father has deeply reflected upon himself for his reckless conduct in leaving the palace. The Empress Dowager has reprimanded him more than once. How could he cause trouble at such a critical time?

Also, in May this year, the Emperor Father had personally mentioned to me that if I wished, he would gift me the knife on my birthday this year. Since the Emperor Father had promised this to me, why would he give the Dari Golden Knife to Ruan Lang?

This must be the result of someone else’s framing! Marquis of Guanjun, you have always been divine in handling cases, recognized as a trusted and respected minister by both Your Majesty and the Jianguo. You have always been upright and principled, revered as the protector of Neo-Confucianism by the world and an arbitrator of orthodox teachings. I beseech you, do not hesitate to help clear the names of the Emperor Father and the Empress Dowager."

Li Xuan furrowed his brow, wondering why this guy had come to him?

Among all the officials in the court, he, Li Xuan, would be the one most pleased to see events befall the True Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had targeted his family more than once, and Li Xuan had always remembered that.

Moreover, the potential future occurrence of a ’palace coup’ has always weighed heavily on his heart.

Li Xuan thought that he would be overjoyed, so how could he lend a hand?

He wasn’t the kind of person who would forget himself just because someone gave him a few flattering compliments. So, he immediately shook his head, "Your Highness is too generous. What kind of merit does I, Li, possess to deserve such high praise from Your Highness?"

However, if the True Emperor did conspire and there is indeed something amiss with the Golden Knife Case, it should be the officials of the Court who investigate, not someone like Li. Your Highness, please be at ease. His Majesty is benevolent and generous by nature; likewise, though the Regent is a woman, she possesses the virtues of a gentleman.

If the True Emperor is indeed innocent, they will certainly not allow him to be falsely accused. Prince Yi, could you please speak up? If you keep bowing like this, I simply couldn’t bear it."

As he said this, he focused his Hao Qi energy, attempting to help Yu Jianshen, Prince Yi, to his feet.

But even Li Xuan’s vast energy, like colored glaze, failed to budge Yu Jianshen.

Prince Yi, Yu Jianshen, seemed rooted to his knees, continuing to bow without rising. "The Emperor and the Regent are naturally generous and virtuous, of the highest moral integrity. What I fear is that villainous characters will stop the Emperor and the Regent from hearing the truth.

Marquis of Guanjun, if you personally request to investigate the Golden Knife Case, neither the Emperor nor the Regent will refuse, and everyone in the Court will be pleased."

He bowed even deeper, "Marquis of Guanjun, the only thing I ask for is a fair trial! If... if the True Emperor and the Empress Dowager truly conspired to reclaim the throne, I won’t have any complaints."

Li Xuan contemplated his energy-formed giant hand, feeling momentarily bewildered.

The assistance he had offered just now had nearly the strength of the False Heavenly Position. Under normal circumstances, even a Wu cultivator on the Twelfth Layer Stage should have been forcefully helped up by him.

However, Prince Yi Yu Jianshen, did not move even in the slightest, as though he was a mountain lying dormant.

Li Xuan looked at Yu Jianshen with deepening intrigue. This man was a book that kept its secrets well.

In the Jin Dynasty’s royal family, after Emperor Jingtai and Hongshang, another high achiever about to reach the heavenly level had emerged.

Prince Yi had also virtually pushed him into the fire with his words just now.

Li Xuan carefully pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, as the saying goes, ’One should not interfere in matters outside of one’s position.’ I’m now merely a Fumo Zhonglangjiang of the Liudao Division and a Judge working at the Central Army of the Dudu’s mansion.

Without the Emperor’s command, how dare I, Li, involve myself in a major conspiracy case? For almost the past year, I’ve had numerous run-ins with the Empress Dowager and her brother. Though the issue that arose at the beginning of the year involving the Dali Temple has been resolved, there are still issues weighing on my heart that haven’t been solved. I doubt if I could be completely impartial in this case, so it is best that I avoid potential accusations."

He noticed that the Crown Prince and the many Hanlin Scholars standing behind him all showed signs of disappointment.

Though they tried to coerce him with their ’reputations’, thinking that he, Li Xuan, could be ’deceived because he’s a gentleman’, he just let out a cold laugh in his heart. Did they really think they could manipulate him?

He, Li Xuan, was not someone who was easily manipulated.

"Furthermore, I believe that Your Highness is barking up the wrong tree here. The present cabinet ministers, including the Minister of Punishments, Yu Shiyue, and the Minister of Rites, Hu Ying, are all upright, loyal officials. How could they allow treacherous people to accuse others falsely and disrupt the court order?"

Yu Jianshen, Prince Yi, sighed heavily, his face turning even paler. But he went on to bow once more, "If the Marquis of Guanjun is unwilling to intervene, I won’t force the issue. I only ask that if the Court assigns you to handle this case one day in the future that you don’t refuse."

Just as Li Xuan was deep in thought, someone behind Prince Yi Yu Jianshen suddenly interjected: "Marquis of Guanjun, given the recent Court debates on the matter of succession, and the increasing momentum of Prince Xiang to inherit the throne...

I believe that the sudden emergence of the Golden Knife Case in the palace at this time is indeed suspicious. That’s why we hope that Marquis Guanjun will take on the investigation to dispel the doubts of the courtiers in the Court and the people in the world."

Li Xuan recognized this man as Wang Shu, one of the lecturers of the Han Lin Academy, who used to be one of Yu Jianshen’s tutors when he was the Crown Prince.

He suddenly realized that Prince Yi Yu Jianshen and these Hanlin Scholars believed they could persuade him to get involved in the case, thinking that Emperor Jingtai and Hongshang also wouldn’t want the balance of the Court to be upset, leading to the issue of Prince Xiang’s succession becoming a matter of public debate in the Court.