My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 255 Blocking
"Then without further ado, go and call all the relevant personnel here. I want to interrogate them personally." Chu Lu said.

Lin Xiao looked at Chu Lu's confident look and didn't dare to have any more doubts. He responded repeatedly: "Yes! I will arrange it right away! I will make sure that all the relevant people are brought here without exception!"

After saying this, he did not dare to delay, and immediately bowed and left the imperial study, and hurried to carry out the order.

Chu Lu looked at his departing back, picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and continued to discuss with Qin Su in his heart.

Not long after, Lin Xiao returned and reported: "Your Majesty, all the people have been taken to the side hall to wait, and General Zhang Wei, the General of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard, is also there to coordinate. Your Majesty can go over at any time."

"Well, lead the way." Chu Lu put down the teacup and stood up.

Under Lin Xiao's guidance, Chu Lu came to a spacious side hall. The hall was well-lit, but the atmosphere was solemn. Dozens of eunuchs, palace maids, kitchen servants, guards, etc. who were related to the incident of the imperial kitchen's yokan soup stood in several rows with their heads bowed, according to their respective responsibilities. Everyone had a look of panic on their faces.

In front of the palace, a tall and straight general in silver armor was pacing back and forth, directing several soldiers of the Imperial Guard to maintain order. This man was none other than Zhang Wei, the Lieutenant General of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard.

Seeing Chu Lu and Lin Xiao coming in, Zhang Wei immediately stopped, stepped forward quickly, and knelt on one knee to salute: "I am Zhang Wei, the last general, and I pay my respects to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!"

Chu Lu raised his hand to support him: "General Zhang, please stand up. Thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Wei stood up quickly, with a look of flattery and fear on his face. He bowed slightly, his voice trembling slightly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration! It is my duty to share your worries, and I dare not complain! I only hope that the truth can be found out as soon as possible to reassure you. The person has been brought here, please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

He seemed to want to say something more to express his loyalty, but he couldn't find the right words, so he paused, pointed to the hall, and continued: "There are no mistakes or omissions! Please give your instructions, Your Majesty!"

Chu Lu was quite satisfied with his cautious and loyal appearance. Chu Lu nodded and said in a gentle voice: "General Zhang's loyalty is commendable, I know it. When this case is concluded, I will definitely reward you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" Zhang Wei bowed again, lowering his head even lower, "It's all thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom!"

Chu Lu said no more, his eyes swept over the trembling crowd below, and said in a deep voice: "Let's start."

The interrogation process was long and boring.

Chu Lu followed the process of making yokan soup from ingredient selection to delivery, and called the people responsible for each link to ask questions one by one.

The eunuch in charge of the Qingfeng Division, who was in charge of selecting the live sheep, swore that there was absolutely no problem with the sheep delivered and that all the records could be checked.

The servant in charge of transporting spring water from Yuquan Mountain described in detail the entire process of drawing water, sealing barrels, and escorting water, without leaving out a single detail.

The young eunuch in charge of the spice storehouse said tremblingly that all receipt of peppercorns must be strictly registered and there is no possibility of outsiders having access to it.

The Hui cooks who were in charge of slaughtering and cleaning repeated each step several times, emphasizing that they strictly abided by the rules and that the silver medal poison test had never found any abnormalities.

The chef and deputy chef in charge of making the soup described clearly how many times the soup was boiled, how many times water was added, and when the spices were added. These details were completely consistent with the records. They also emphasized that the Shangshen Zheng was supervising the entire process, so it was impossible for them to tamper with the process, and they did not have the courage to do anything.

The eunuchs in charge of the delivery repeated the route, handover personnel, and inspection details one by one. There was circumstantial evidence for each person, and the time and place were accurate.

……

Chu Lu asked very carefully, almost going over all the details that Lin Xiao had checked before. However, the result he got was exactly the same as Lin Xiao's - everyone's confession was flawless, without any flaws, as if the poison appeared out of thin air in the soup bowl.

Lin Xiao, who was standing aside, watched Chu Lu patiently asking the questions he had already asked countless times, and watched those people give the same answers as before. He couldn't help but feel amazement and fear for the person who poisoned him again.

This guy is really amazing. He thought to himself: Even with such a tight defense, he could find an opportunity to take advantage of it and poison the place without anyone noticing. This method is simply unbelievable!
Soon Chu Lu interrogated all the way to the final presentation stage.

A young palace maid was called in front of Chu Lu. This palace maid was called A Ling, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face, but with a timid look between her eyebrows, and a slightly thin figure.

As usual, Chu Lu asked her about what happened that day. A Ling's voice was shaking with nervousness, but she still stuttered as she recounted the short section of the journey she was responsible for and the circumstances of the handover, and her statements were consistent with those of others.

Chu Lu nodded, his eyes accidentally swept across her hands that were twisted together due to nervousness, and suddenly paused. He was surprised to find that on her slender wrist, she was wearing a bracelet with a simple style and a rather cheap material.

"Your bracelet is quite nice." Chu Lu grabbed her wrist and looked at the bracelet. "Are palace maids allowed to wear bracelets?"

Ah Ling was so frightened when she heard this that she trembled all over. She lowered her head quickly and cried, "Your Majesty. This, this is something that was passed down from my family. It's not worth much... I have been wearing it all the time and dare not take it off. The palace, the palace also allows it. But if it offends your majesty, I will take it off now! If your majesty wants it, I, I..."

She spoke incoherently, as if she was afraid that the emperor would take a fancy to her shabby bracelet, but she dared not disobey.

"I just said it casually, you don't have to be afraid." Chu Lu waved his hand, "Okay, leave now."

"Thank you, thank you, Your Majesty..." A Ling felt as if she had been pardoned. She kowtowed quickly and hurriedly retreated back into the crowd.

The interrogation lasted until the evening, but nothing was found in the end. Chu Lu looked at the people in the hall. Although there was no expression on his face, there was a flash of understanding in his eyes.

He lowered his head and began to think, while Lin Xiao beside him looked at him with a hint of expectation.

However, after a while, Chu Lu stood up and said to Lin Xiao and Zhang Wei, "Let's stop here for today, and we can talk about the rest tomorrow. I am tired, so I will go back to the palace first."

"Farewell, Your Majesty!" Lin Xiao and Zhang Wei bowed quickly.

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed with disappointment. Although he didn't think Chu Lu could really find the murderer in a few steps, after all, his performance in deducing his secret in a few words was too amazing. He still had some hope in his heart, thinking that he could at least find some clues that he had missed before.

In the end, it turned out to be no different from myself, so I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Not long after that, the news of Chu Lu's high-profile move to personally try the case spread quickly.

For a time, people from all walks of life were talking about it.

"Your Majesty... you are just thinking of something else. Well, let him be."

"It is against etiquette and decorum for the emperor to personally try criminal cases. But... since your majesty is interested in this, we, as ministers, cannot afford to upset your majesty. Anyway, there are those upright and hard-core people here, and they will rush to do this tough job."

"How can this be absurd! How can a dignified emperor do the work of a jailer?! The affairs of state are so heavy, the border troubles are not resolved, and the people's livelihood is so difficult, yet he has the leisure to interrogate a few eunuchs and kitchen servants? He is simply putting the cart before the horse, so stupid! Tomorrow morning, I will give him a face-to-face advice and make him turn back from his wrong path!"

"Have you heard? His Majesty actually went to try the case in person! Humph! Who does he think he is? A detective? I think he is just bored and treats government affairs as a joke! Are the Royal Guards all useless? Do they need him to go out in person? It's ridiculous! At the court tomorrow morning, we should make a joint petition to put an end to this evil trend!"

…………

The next day, the morning light was just breaking, and the soft light quietly passed through the carved window lattices and sprinkled into the magnificent palace. Chu Lu woke up slowly from his sleep, and the palace maids beside him immediately gathered around him quietly and prepared toiletries for him in an orderly manner. Chu Lu raised his hand to rub his still sleepy eyes, and after he woke up a little, he got up and changed his clothes with the help of the palace maids.

When everything was ready and Chu Lu stood up to go to the Golden Throne Hall, an old eunuch with a gray beard whispered, "Your Majesty, today's morning court session may not be very peaceful."

Chu Lu looked at the old eunuch with a sharp gaze, motioning him to continue. The old eunuch lowered his head and said carefully: "Those upright officials have already known what happened yesterday. They care most about the etiquette and law system, and will definitely try to stop it, and will not be merciful in their words. Your Majesty must be prepared."

Chu Lu withdrew his gaze and said calmly: "I understand." The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was solemn.

As soon as Chu Lu sat down, before the topic began, Fang Xiaozhi, the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate, was the first to stand up, holding a tablet in his hand and speaking in a loud voice: "Your Majesty! I have a memorial to report!"

Chu Lu raised his eyes to look at him and said calmly: "Speak."

Fang Xiaozhi had a serious face, high cheekbones, and eyes as sharp as an eagle: "I heard that Your Majesty condescended to personally investigate the case of poisoning in the imperial kitchen yesterday! Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! First of all, you are the emperor, and the safety of the world depends on you. How can you waste your precious energy on such trivial matters? Secondly, this is the job of the Imperial Guards and the Ministry of Justice. Your Majesty has stepped in and taken over the affairs of the country. Where does the law of the country stand? Where does the face of all officials stand? Your Majesty, please stop this absurd behavior immediately, hand over the case to me, and concentrate on state affairs!"

His words were passionate and powerful.

As soon as Fang Xiaozhi finished speaking, the censor Yan Zheng immediately came out to echo him.

Yan Zheng, about 27 or 28 years old, tall and thin, with dark skin, was born in a poor family and became famous by impeaching the powerful. Therefore, when faced with this incident, he did not back down and said fiercely: "Your Majesty! Lord Fang is absolutely right! Why does Your Majesty need to personally take care of a mere poisoning case? Your Majesty's actions are tantamount to treating the country's most important weapon as a toy! Treating the court's laws as a child's play! If this continues, the country will no longer be a country! I beg Your Majesty to stop at the brink and not do such things that will make the world laugh at you again!"

Li Wenyuan, the president of the Hanlin Academy, a leader of the Qingliu School who was nearly seventy years old, also stroked his gray beard, walked out tremblingly, and said with great sorrow: "Your Majesty... I, an old minister, was entrusted with the important task of taking care of the orphan by the late emperor, and I dare not remain silent. Your Majesty should put the country first and the people first. There are special people to judge the case, and Your Majesty must not neglect the affairs of state because of a momentary impulse!"

For a time, the Qingliu faction was indignant and spoke out to persuade Chu Lu with fierce words, as if they would persuade him to death if Chu Lu did not agree.

The other group of old-timers, led by Prime Minister Shen Shian, mostly looked at each other with their eyes on the nose and their noses on their hearts, as if they had nothing to do with the matter. Finally, Shen Shian slowly stepped out and said in a leisurely tone: "I am old and stupid, but I think what Lord Fang and Lord Li said is somewhat reasonable. Your Majesty's safety is certainly important, but the division of labor in the court is also the rule of our ancestors. Your Majesty will hand over the investigation of the case to Commander Lin, and your Majesty only needs to stay in the center and listen to his reports. Why do you have to do it yourself and worry about it?"

The Minister of Finance Jia Ruhui then quickly agreed: "Prime Minister Shen is right. Your Majesty's health is the most important thing. You don't have to do everything yourself."

Chu Lu watched the performance of the officials below coldly, becoming more and more impatient.

"enough!"

He slammed the armrest of the dragon throne, making a crisp "pa" sound, interrupting everyone's speech.

The hall suddenly became quiet.

"Are you done?" Chu Lu said in a cold tone, without a trace of emotion, "When is it your turn to tell me what to do?"

He glanced at those upright officials: "Neglect of duty? Absurd behavior? I think you are the ones who are conservative and pedantic! I am the emperor, the world belongs to me! Do I need to see your expressions when I want to investigate a case?"

"You keep talking about trivial matters in prison, but you are still talking about a mere poisoning case. You are trying to poison me and regicide!" Chu Lu said angrily, "Don't you take my life seriously? Ah! Tell me!"

As soon as the words fell, the court was shocked. Officials such as Shen Shian changed their expressions and dared not say anything more.

But others had the exact opposite reaction.

Fang Xiaozhi raised his head abruptly, stiffened his neck, and his voice was a little hoarse due to excitement: "Your Majesty! This is wrong! It is because we regard your Majesty's safety as more important than Mount Tai that we dare not agree with your Majesty's personal risk! Regicide is a heinous crime, and it is necessary to use the country's criminal instruments and strictly handle it according to the law, so as to demonstrate the law and deter the villains! Your Majesty is the emperor of ten thousand chariots, and the safety of the world is related. How can you act lightly? We advise you to abide by the loyalty of the ministers, for the sake of the country and the people, and for the health of your Majesty! How can you say that you don't take your Majesty's life seriously?! This is a heart-breaking remark, please take back your order and distinguish between loyalty and treachery!
Li Wenyuan was even more angry and knelt down, saying loudly: "Your Majesty, calm down! I dare to ask Your Majesty, what do you mean by 'taking it seriously'? Does putting Your Majesty in an unpredictable danger mean that Your Majesty's life is 'taking it seriously'? The ancestral regulations and the laws of the court are the rocks that protect the king and stabilize the country! We adhere to the regulations in order to prevent evil from taking advantage of the opportunity. This is the real concern for Your Majesty's safety and the foundation of our ancestors! Your Majesty's words today really chill the hearts of loyal ministers like me!"

Other upright officials also knelt down and agreed, and the court suddenly became noisy.

"Enough! I have made up my mind!" Chu Lu stood up and looked down at the civil and military officials in the court. He said in a firm tone, "I will investigate this case myself! If anyone dares to say one more word of nonsense or question my ability, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

He pointed at Fang Xiaozhi and Li Wenyuan with a stern look in his eyes, "Especially you two! If you dare to make noise again, get out of here and go to Lingnan to feed mosquitoes!"

Upon seeing this, Shen Shian and other officials lowered their heads and said in unison: "Your Majesty, please calm down. We will obey your order."

But I was sighing in my heart: Why didn't I realize before that he was such a stubborn and opinionated person who couldn't stand any honest advice.

Fang Xiaozhi and Li Wenyuan were so angry that their faces turned blue. They wanted to argue, but were dragged out by the palace guards who were prepared.

"Your Majesty! Honest advice is unpleasant to the ear! Your Majesty, please think twice!"

"You are a foolish ruler! You have no regard for the principles of the court! The country is about to perish!"

The shouts of the two people became farther and farther away until they disappeared. The other Qingliu watched this scene and trembled with anger.

Chu Lu just snorted coldly and shouted: "Withdraw from the court!"

……

That night, in a secret room in an inconspicuous corner of the palace.

The dim candlelight illuminated two figures hidden in the shadows.

A figure seemed a little anxious and said in a low voice: "Deacon, the emperor was furious in the court today. It seems that he is determined to investigate the case personally... He interrogated for so long yesterday, although he didn't find anything, but I still feel uneasy. What if... What if he really gets lucky and finds some clues, what should we do?"

Another figure sneered in a low voice, his tone full of arrogance and disdain: "What are you afraid of? Just relying on that stupid emperor? Humph, he can find out nothing! Look at him making a big fuss yesterday, asking questions all the time, but he is still like a headless fly? Apart from sending a few honest officials who dared to tell the truth to jail, what else can he do? He is just a tyrant!"

"But..." The figure from before was still worried, "He is the emperor after all, with tremendous power. What if he can't find the real murderer, and in a rage, he orders all those involved in this case to be killed, even if it means killing a thousand people by mistake, rather than letting one go... Then wouldn't I be..."

"That's enough!" The figure known as the "deacon" interrupted her abruptly, his tone became violent and arrogant, with a strong sense of impatience, "Are you so scared by such a small matter? You are such a loser! If you can't even handle such a storm, how can you work for Master Si Shou and Master Tian Shu?!"

The previous figure was scolded so much that he dared not say a word, but it was obvious that she was still very scared, and her face was probably full of worry.

Because the deacon paused, his tone softened, and said, "Alright, alright, there's no need to look at me like that. Since you're so worried, I'll use a little trick to help you completely solve this problem and put your mind at ease."

The figure from before suddenly said in surprise: "What's the plan, Deacon?"

"Heh," the deacon chuckled, "Come closer and listen."

The two men came closer, and the deacon lowered his voice and whispered something like this in the other's ear.

After a moment, the figure who was worried before nodded repeatedly and said in an overjoyed tone: "Okay, okay, this is a good idea!"

"Hmph, I'm glad you know." The deacon snorted coldly and waved his hand, "Go down and do as I say. Be clean."

"Yes! Deacon, don't worry!" The figure responded respectfully and retreated quietly.

Inside the room, the only person left was the figure known as the butler.

He slowly walked out of the shadows and approached the candlelight. The flickering flames illuminated his face - sharp edges and sharp eyes. It was Zhang Wei, the Lieutenant General of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guards, who had been respectful and cautious to Chu Lu in the side hall during the day.

(End of this chapter)