Chen Feiyang, who was about to turn around and leave, stopped when he heard this and turned back to stare at Chen Changqing: "What did you say?"
The voice was calm, but one could hear a hint of coldness in it.
Chen Changqing had no expression on his face. In a low voice, he repeated word for word: "Gao Wenyang was poisoned!"
As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell all around.
All the detectives and jailers present at the scene shut up and held their breath, and no one made a sound.
Everyone's eyes fell on Chen Changqing, and they were horrified.
Chen Kuishou...is he crazy?
How dare you question Protector Chen in public?
The smile on Chen Feiyang's face gradually disappeared. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Changqing: "What evidence do you have?"
Chen Changqing said expressionlessly: "Gao Wenyang is timid and afraid of death. He will never commit suicide easily!"
"When I caught him yesterday, he had nothing on him... Where did this poison come from?"
"Someone must have come to the cell last night and seen Gao Wenyang... and poisoned him!"
Chen Changqing turned around and stared at Gao Wenyang, whose face was blue and purple and looked like he was dying.
This was clearly a premeditated poisoning!
He should have anticipated that since the matter involved the Third Prince, it was definitely not that simple.
But Chen Changqing never expected that they sneaked into the Mi Tiansi prison right under his nose and killed Gao Wenyang!
He is the leader of the Secret Department, but he knows nothing about this!
This was undoubtedly a slap in his face and a great humiliation to him!
"Oh!"
Unexpectedly, after hearing what Chen Changqing said, Chen Feiyang sneered: "Is this what you call evidence?!"
"My Secret Heaven Prison is strictly guarded. How could anyone sneak in? These are just your wild guesses. As for this poison..."
Chen Feiyang glanced coldly at the cell and sneered, "Who knows where Gao Wenyang hid the poison? ... He poisoned Zhou Huiguang, knowing he deserved death. But when the truth was revealed and fell into the hands of our Secret Heaven Division, he panicked and feared the consequences, so he chose to commit suicide... What's wrong with that?"
Chen Changqing sneered in his heart, and there was a trace of inexplicable sadness!
What's wrong with that?
To put it simply, Gao Wenyang's death can be defined as suicide?
Almost everyone present could see that he was clearly poisoned, yet everyone remained silent...
Chen Changqing swept his cold eyes over everyone present. Most people didn't dare to look him in the eye, avoiding him and dodging. Some people even lowered their heads out of guilt.
At this moment, Chen Changqing felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. The inside of the Secret Heaven Division was even darker than he had imagined.
As the leader of the Secret Heaven Division, he never saw through it.
And all this...
Chen Changqing stared coldly at Chen Feiyang in front of him, fearing that all this was closely related to the guardian in front of him.
"Why? Chen Kuishou has any objection to what this protector said?"
Chen Feiyang stared at Chen Changqing with sharp eyes and said in a cold voice, "Could it be that Chen Kuishou has a different opinion and questions this protector?"
Chen Changqing stood there, feeling as if there was a ball of fire burning in his heart, accumulating in his chest, and seemed about to explode at any time.
But in the end, there was no explosion.
As if remembering what the Prince of Lin had told him, Chen Changqing calmed down, slowly lowered his eyes, and said calmly: "No."
"What the Dharma Protector said is correct. Gao Wenyang... may indeed have committed suicide out of fear of punishment!"
Hearing this, Chen Feiyang nodded in satisfaction, snorted lightly, and glanced at him coldly: "It's good that you know. Since Gao Wenyang committed suicide out of fear of punishment, this case should be concluded as soon as possible. Give an explanation to the Zhou family and the emperor... However, you don't need to take over this case. Recently, a group of refugees have appeared outside the capital. Their origins are unknown. During this time, you should investigate the identities of these refugees..."
To investigate the refugees, only the constables under him could do it. However, Chen Feiyang asked Chen Changqing, the head of the Secret Heaven Division, to do it personally. It was obvious that this was targeting Chen Changqing and trying to take away his power in disguise.
Chen Changqing heard it, his face without any emotion, and nodded silently: "Yes."
Chen Feiyang stared at the expression on Chen Changqing's face for a long time, then sneered, looked at him with disdain, turned around and left.
Chen Changqing still stood there, staring at Chen Feiyang's back as he left arrogantly, without saying a word.
After a long time, the other people in the prison gradually began to stir and began to deal with the aftermath. Several constables who had followed Chen Changqing and were considered half-confidants walked forward cautiously.
"Captain, we know you're upset, but this matter is truly beyond our control..."
"The guardian is a favorite of Eunuch Chen. If you offend him, you will suffer the consequences."
"We're all just trying to make a living, there's no need to offend those powerful people. Just do whatever they tell you to do, don't mess with your own future and your own life..."
Chen Changqing still didn't speak. He looked at them coldly for a few times, then turned and left.
The remaining detectives shook their heads and sighed.
"The leader is good in every way, except that he is too stubborn and too upright!"
"If he continues like this, something bad will happen sooner or later!"
"Chen the Guardian has begun to distrust the leader. I'm afraid our Secret Heaven Division will have to undergo a major reshuffle soon..."
“…”
Capital city.
On the west side of the imperial city, in a magnificently decorated mansion.
“Bang!”
A crisp cracking sound came from the room.
The piercing sound frightened the beautiful maids around and made them tremble. They knelt on the ground with their heads lowered, not daring to breathe, with horror on their faces.
Inside the room, there were broken pieces of teacup on the floor, shattered into pieces and in a mess.
A handsome young man dressed in a silver robe and brocade clothes now had a gloomy face and gritted teeth.
It seems like he is venting some kind of anger!
The sound was so loud outside the courtyard that the servants inside did not dare to say a word.
This, what's going on?
Why is His Royal Highness the Third Prince so angry today?
"Get out, get out!"
From the room, the cold and angry voice of the Third Prince was heard, and he drove away all the maids in the room and outside the corridor.
After these maids left tremblingly, another figure slowly appeared at the door.
"Your Highness!"
Outside the door, a middle-aged man appeared. He had an elegant face and was wearing a ruqun.
It was Situ Yan.
The third prince's most trusted adviser.
Situ Yan bowed, took in the mess in the room, and saw the gloomy, sullen expression on the Third Prince's face. He sighed, "Why is His Highness the Third Prince so angry?"
"How can this king not be angry?"
The Third Prince's face turned pale and he gritted his teeth, "Do you know what rumors are spreading in this city today?"
"I have heard about it."
At the beginning of this morning, the news that the third prince poisoned Zhou Huiguang and put the blame on the crown prince spread like wildfire and quickly spread throughout the city.
In the capital, gossip spreads the fastest, especially when one is the Prince of Lin and the other is the Third Prince. The secret grudges and entanglements between these two people that cannot be seen by the public naturally attract heated discussions among the people.
Situ Yan stepped into the room, shook his head and sighed softly, "Your Highness, for this matter to spread so widely, there must be someone secretly manipulating it behind the scenes. I think it must be the work of that Prince Lin!"
"Lin Jiangnian!"
The third prince had a cold look in his eyes, gnashed his teeth, clenched his fists, and the veins on his arms were faintly visible.
On that once handsome face, there were still redness, swelling and bruises that had not yet completely subsided, and the pain was painful. The pain reminded him of the humiliation of being slapped in the face by Lin Jiangnian in public yesterday.
New and old grudges suddenly emerged.
"This king wants him dead!"
"The more this happens, the more calm Your Highness must remain!"
Situ Yan walked up to the Third Prince, shook his head, and said solemnly, "Prince Lin's move is a deliberate revenge!"
"Your Highness framed him for poisoning Zhou Huiguang, and he took the opportunity to drag Your Highness into this vortex. Once Your Highness is exposed to the people of the world, it will be extremely disadvantageous to Your Highness."
"The situation in the court is at a critical juncture. Your Highness must not lose your composure and ruin your plans!"
The Third Prince's eyes were icy. "Now everyone outside is saying that I murdered Zhou Huiguang. He wants to drag me into this. If public opinion becomes a trend, it will be extremely disadvantageous to me!"
"Your Highness, please be patient."
Situ Yan shook his head. "Your Highness never showed up to poison Zhou Huiguang, and he left no evidence. As long as Gao Wenyang keeps quiet, even if the rumors spread among the people are more severe, it won't have much impact on Your Highness's plans. When the time comes, we just need to let the government clarify the matter, and the impact will be eliminated."
Situ Yan already had a plan in mind before coming.
"Where's Gao Wenyang?"
The Third Prince finally remembered this man. He had been arrested and taken to the Secret Heaven Division yesterday. His face turned cold: "Will he turn me over?!"
"Don't worry, Your Highness. Gao Wenyang can no longer speak!"
Situ Yan said calmly, "Last night at midnight, Gao Wenyang committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment."
Upon hearing this news, the Third Prince's eyes turned slightly cold: "You did a great job!"
Gao Wenyang died in prison, and the evidence of Zhou Huiguang's poisoning was completely gone. Even if the rumors spread outside, it would no longer affect the Third Prince's reputation in the court.
only……
Thinking of how disgusted Lin Jiangnian was, the Third Prince still couldn't hide his anger.
"However, Your Highness, there is one more thing..."
Situ Yan paused and said, "Gao Wenyang's death was also a choice made by the Gao family. Gao Boyan..."
Just as Situ Yan was about to say something, a servant's voice came from outside the door.
"Your Highness, the Minister of Personnel of the Gao family, Gao Boyan, requests to see you!"
Hearing this name, the third prince narrowed his eyes.
Situ Yan on the side slowly said: "He came to ask for this favor from Your Highness!"
The Third Prince immediately understood what he meant and snorted coldly, "Let him in."
"yes!"
“…”
"Master Gao, His Highness wants to see you. Please follow me."
Outside the door, a servant from the mansion led a middle-aged man into the house.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a gray robe, with a calm gaze and a peaceful expression, his mind focused. He followed the servants out of the courtyard and approached the door of the room.
"Master Gao, please come in!"
The servant stopped.
Gao Boyan nodded, then stood behind the door and bowed, saying, "This subordinate pays his respects to His Royal Highness the Third Prince!"
Soon, the Third Prince's calm voice was heard in the room.
"Master Gao, please come in!"
Gao Boyan walked slowly into the room.
In the cold and gloomy room, the Third Prince, dressed in brocade, sat behind a screen. Outside the screen, Situ Yan stood there expressionlessly.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, Master Situ!"
Gao Boyan bowed and spoke again.
Situ Yan nodded slightly. From behind the screen, the Third Prince's calm voice came: "I wonder what matter has Master Gao come to see me about?"
Gao Boyan raised his eyes and looked behind the screen, then bowed and said, "I came here today because of my disappointing second son..."
"My son, Gao Wenyang, has been pampered by this humble official since childhood, leading to his domineering and arrogant character... This time, he actually committed such a brutal act of poisoning Zhou Huiguang, the son of the Zhou family. This is such a heinous crime that is condemned by both humans and gods..."
Gao Boyan's voice was heavy with sorrow, filled with a hint of regret: "Now that the truth has been exposed and the evidence is irrefutable, my son committed suicide in the Mi Tiansi prison out of fear of punishment. It can be said that he got what he deserved..."
"I came here today to apologize to His Royal Highness the Third Prince on behalf of my son. Now that my son is dead, I hope His Royal Highness the Third Prince will let bygones be bygones and no longer dwell on the past..."
silence.
After Gao Boyan finished speaking, the room fell into silence.
No one spoke.
Gao Boyan lowered his head slightly, stood in the middle of the room, and didn't say anything else.
Situ Yan stood beside the screen, staring at him with half-closed eyes, his expression slightly solemn.
The third prince behind the screen remained silent for a long time.
"Don't worry, Master Gao. Wen Yang and I are good friends. I bear some responsibility for his misguided actions this time. Now that he has committed suicide out of fear of sin, I cannot sit idly by. As for the Zhou family, Master Gao, don't worry. I will explain everything to you."
Hearing the voice coming from behind the screen, Gao Boyan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince!"
"If I remember correctly, Mr. Gao's eldest son is still in the Hanlin Academy, right?" The third prince mentioned it again.
Gao Boyan said, "Thank you, Third Prince, for remembering me. Two years ago, my eldest son, Gao Hang, passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy. He is still studying with Mr. Chen in the Hanlin Academy..."
"Master Gao's eldest son is exceptionally talented and learned. He has proposed many strategic policies for governing the country within the Imperial Academy, earning him the favor of Elder Chen... Some time ago, Elder Wu, the Minister of War, retired from the Six Ministries, leaving this position vacant for a while. I'm considering sending Master Gao's eldest son to one of the Six Ministries for training. What do you think, Master Gao?"
Gao Boyan lowered his head and said, "It's all up to Your Highness to decide!"
"Then let's do it."
Behind the screen, the Third Prince's voice was calm as he continued, "Master Gao's second son has reached adulthood, right? I heard he's not in the capital, but in Chuzhou, Jiangnan?"
Gao Boyan said, "Chuzhou is my hometown. My second son has just come of age, and I plan to let him inherit and manage the family business!"
"I do have a fiefdom in Chuzhou, but I'm away all year round, so the business there is usually no one to look after it. I wonder if Mr. Gao would be willing to help me look after the business there..."
"It's all up to your Highness!"
“…”
After a while, the Third Prince was silent for a while, staring at Gao Boyan through the screen. "I wonder if Master Gao is satisfied?"
Gao Boyan stood there, his eyes excited, and said in a deep voice: "The Third Prince has taken such good care of me. On behalf of the entire Gao family, I am deeply grateful to His Highness the Third Prince. If His Highness the Third Prince needs me in the future, I will certainly do my best to help him!"
“…”
After Gao Boyan left.
There was silence in the room for a long time.
"What do you think?"
The third prince's deep voice came from behind the screen.
Situ Yan said in a deep voice: "This person is not simple!"
"In order to protect the Gao family, he didn't hesitate to kill his own son... Such means are absolutely beyond the reach of ordinary people."
"This person can be used, but Your Highness must also be wary of him in the future!"
Behind the screen, the Third Prince's eyes were indifferent. "Don't worry, he and the entire Gao family can't escape my control. As for his methods..."
The Third Prince's eyes sparkled with a gleam of excitement. "He's ruthless and decisive. This is the kind of person I like. Keeping him will be of great use to me."
Situ Yan hesitated to speak, but in the end he said nothing.
He believed that his Highness knew what was going on.
"By the way, Your Highness, there is one more thing!"
"What is it?"
"Do you still remember the Wang family of Xunyang in Yanzhou?"
Situ Yan suddenly mentioned it.
The Third Prince looked coldly: "Wang Changjin?"
"Xunyang Governor Wang Shiquan was plotting a rebellion and was captured by the Yanzhou Governor. The entire Wang family was then exterminated, leaving no one alive..."
Situ Yan said in a deep voice, "The Wang family has had contact with us before, and I'm worried that they might have left some clues. When I sent people to investigate some time ago, I discovered that the Wang family had a feud with Prince Lin..."
"I'm worried..."
Hearing this, the Third Prince's eyes narrowed: "Have you found out anything?"
"No."
Situ Yan shook his head, "It's hard to say for now, but at this critical moment, we have to be careful!"
"To avoid any further complications, we need to speed up... I'm afraid the plan needs to be brought forward!"
The third prince had a blank expression on his face.
“…”