After saying that, with a loud “thud”, Sheng Qinrong kowtowed heavily.
In Feng Linche's cold eyes smoldered a seething anger. “Humph! Those who dare to kidnap an official of our Great Zhou must first ask for my permission!” he gritted his teeth and said.
“Wang Lin!”
Wang Lin immediately stepped forward.
“Quickly lead five hundred elite soldiers to surround the General's Mansion and search it thoroughly. You must rescue Sheng Yan for me safe and sound!”
“Yes!” Without saying a word more, Wang Lin whirled around and left like the wind.
Bai Sheng instantly slumped to the ground.
Silence fell over the hall. Sheng Qinrong still knelt there, with obvious worry and anxiety on her face.
Feng Linche's face looked a bit brighter than before, and there seemed to be less anger in his tone. “You're saying that the Marquise of Dingyuan didn't start the fire. She was indeed a victim?”
Hearing this, Sheng Qinrong straightened her back again. She replied clearly and loudly, neither overbearing nor humble, “Your Majesty, yes!”
Empress Chu secretly let out a sigh of relief and said softly, “Your Majesty, if her elder brother can't be rescued today, the Sheng family will be finished. And this Miss Sheng is willing to stake the lives of her whole family. Her confession doesn't seem to be false.”
Zhuo Yi frowned more and more tightly and turned his face away, not looking at Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng's lips gradually turned pale. Fear and guilt showed in her eyes, and her body trembled involuntarily. Overwhelmed by the fear of death and defeat, she cried out again, “Your Majesty! Don't be deceived!
It was the Crown Prince who colluded with the Marquise of Dingyuan's Mansion to murder the Third Prince! The man who died next to the Third Prince is solid evidence!
Ci Hui can also testify. It was because of the Crown Prince. This Miss Sheng must have received some benefits to help them clear their names!”
Seeing that Feng Linche ignored her, she knelt in front of Princess Yunxi and tugged at her skirt, continuing to cry, “Princess Yunxi, every word I say is true. Don't you want to avenge your husband? These people are powerful and are twisting right and wrong! The Third Prince will never rest in peace!”
Princess Yunxi was completely stunned.
Only now did she roughly understand the whole process of the incident. Back then, she had helped Zhuo Lingxiao and Bai Sheng lure Bai Zheng out. It turned out that they had planned to burn Bai Zheng to death.
But Bai Zheng was lucky enough to survive. Instead, Feng Jingxuan, who was interrogating the spy sent by Feng Jingye, died unjustly.
In the final analysis, the real culprit was still Feng Jingye!
Thinking of this, Princess Yunxi said plaintively, “Your Majesty! No matter who started the fire, if the Crown Prince hadn't sent spies there, how would the Third Prince have entered that secret chamber and been blown up? Ci Hui also said it was because of the Crown Prince. I hope Your Majesty will severely punish the real culprit!”
This speech reminded everyone of Ci Hui and the dead spy. The truth was indeed unclear. Now that both sides insisted on their own versions, the situation reached a deadlock again.
Just as everyone was whispering and discussing, a deep voice came in, “Your Majesty, Ci Hui requests an audience. He says he has something important to report!”
Feng Linche, who was extremely vexed, immediately nodded upon hearing this.
As soon as Ci Hui entered, he knelt on the ground. “Your Majesty, this servant just remembered. After the Third Prince entered the secret chamber, this servant was guarding outside the door and saw the figure of the arsonist. This servant wasn't accidentally knocked unconscious by the explosion but was beaten unconscious by someone!”
Hearing this, Zhuo Lingxiao's pupils dilated, and his breathing quickened.
They saw Ci Hui turn around and point at Zhuo Lingxiao. “The person who knocked this servant out was none other than Young Master Zhuo!”
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.
Feng Linche suddenly lifted his chin and stared directly at Zhuo Lingxiao with piercing eyes.
Appearing near the fire scene and secretly injuring the Third Prince's personal bodyguard, it was hard not to suspect Young Master Zhuo's motives.
Zhuo Lingxiao's face turned pale. He gasped and couldn't help shouting angrily at Ci Hui, “You, you, you! Don't spout nonsense!”
Ci Hui straightened his back and showed no fear on his face. “Young Master Zhuo, do you mean it wasn't you who knocked this servant out? Then take a look at this!”
As Ci Hui spoke, he took out a token from his chest. The special carving and patterns clearly showed that it was the exclusive token of the Young Master of Xiliang. No one else could get it.
Zhuo Lingxiao quickly lowered his head and only then realized that his jade pendant around his waist was missing.
He took a few steps back to steady himself and quickly recovered. He said to Feng Linche, “Your Majesty, this explosion really has nothing to do with me. I... I just accidentally lost this important token and went there to look for it...
No, no, no. Maybe I lost it when I went to put out the fire. I really can't remember when I lost it. These days have been too chaotic. But this fire definitely has nothing to do with me! Please, Your Majesty, investigate clearly!”
Zhuo Lingxiao was clearly flustered and stammering.
But Ci Hui clearly didn't intend to let him off. “Young Master Zhuo, this token was taken from you by this servant with the last bit of strength when you knocked this servant out. If this servant hadn't seen the token again after waking up just now, this servant might have wrongly accused the Crown Prince!”
Feng Jingye was almost in tears. He said to Feng Linche, “Father! Your son is innocent. Your son is really innocent!”
Zhuo Yi's face looked extremely ugly. He also chimed in, “Your Majesty, the Third Prince is engaged to Princess Yunxi of our Great Liang. He is the son - in - law of our Great Liang and also my son's brother - in - law. Why would he set fire to the Third Prince?”
Before Feng Linche could answer, he continued, “It's the Crown Prince who was deeply afraid that the Third Prince would marry the princess of our Xiliang. He was afraid that the Third Prince would threaten his position as the Crown Prince, so he had the intention to kill, right?”
“The real culprit is clearly Young Master Zhuo. Why is the Prince twisting right and wrong!” Empress Chu also joined the argument.
Feng Linche slumped into his seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand and closed his eyes tightly, feeling a splitting headache.
Judging from Zhuo Lingxiao's full - of - holes statements, this explosion was definitely related to him. But even if the real culprit was really Zhuo Lingxiao, so what? Could he really be punished?
Did the Great Zhou have the ability to confront Xiliang now?
In the deadlock, Wang Lin had already brought Sheng Yan back to report.
Sheng Yan only looked a bit pale. He wasn't injured at all.
Seeing her elder brother standing there safe and sound, Sheng Qinrong would have rushed up to hug her brother and cried if it weren't for the presence of the Emperor.
Sheng Yan was also filled with mixed emotions, but he knew he had more important things to do.
He nodded at his sister and then knelt down in front of Feng Linche. Without any unnecessary words, he directly took out a letter from his sleeve. “Your Majesty, this is an invitation letter from Miss Bai. She said she had something important to discuss. After I went as scheduled, I was locked up by them.
Thanks to Your Majesty sending someone to rescue me, I managed to save my life. Every word my sister said is true. I hope Your Majesty will see clearly!”
The eunuch took the letter and presented it to Feng Linche. There was clearly the seal of Miss Bai of the Bai Mansion on it. This was the seal that Bai Sheng had stamped on the letter in order not to arouse Sheng Yan's suspicion. Who would have thought that it would now become evidence against her.