Help! The innocent prince always tries to seduce me clumsily

Originally, Chu Shitong had no intention of interfering in Jiangzhou's affairs. After all, she was usually very close to Chu Shifeng.

There was a reason why the Jiangzhou murder case shocked the world. The circumstances were too serious and involved a total of 84 officials in Jiangzhou, both large and small. It can be said that after the matter was investigated thoroughly, not only did the entire Jiang family fall, but Chu Shifeng, as one of them, was implicated to the point of being removed from the royal family and sent to the clan house.

After hearing Nan Xue's investigation results, Chu Shitong hesitated for a long time and finally decided to take the initiative to volunteer to investigate the affairs of Jiangzhou.

This matter was investigated by Chu Shixuan in the previous life. It might be difficult for Chu Shitong to take over this matter now.

Ultimately, it was because she and Chu Shifeng were too close.

Chu Shiyu may not be sure about her.

Chu Shitong was struggling for several days. She had always been a person who put interests first. Volunteering to investigate the affairs of Jiangzhou would definitely make Chu Shiyu suspicious of her, but if she went to Jiangzhou to investigate privately, she would definitely not have so much time.

Moreover, if he could not go there directly and had to send someone, he would be unable to explain himself if Chu Shixuan discovered them.

After much deliberation, Chu Shitong decided to volunteer when the case was reported.

......

April 12.

Chu Shitong went to court as usual, but she knew very well that the affairs of Jiangzhou would be reported today.

In the court, all civil and military officials were present.

After all incidents, big or small, are reported and handled one by one.

Chu Shiyu sat high on the dragon throne, looking majestic. He glanced at the memorials on the table and said, "If you have nothing else to report today, then we can leave the court."

Chu Shifeng secretly touched Chu Shitong's shoulder and asked in a low voice: "Xiaoqi, do you want to come to my house for a drink today?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Shitong's smile spread out like water drops and gradually deepened.

"If my brother is willing to invite me, I will be happy to go."

Seeing that Chu Shifeng was planning to go back home to drink after the court session, Chu Shitong felt even happier.

It's almost time.

"I have something to report."

Seeing that the speaker was Meng Yongliang, the prefect of Beijing, Chu Shiyu frowned slightly.

Logically speaking, Meng Yongliang did not need to go to court unless necessary, because although he was in the capital, he was also a local civil official, and handling the affairs of the people in the capital in the mansion was his daily routine.

Chu Shiyu asked, "What do you want?"

Meng Yongliang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, yesterday a couple came to the prefect to file a complaint."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the court suddenly became serious.

You should know that these three words "file a complaint" not only mean filing a complaint, but also mean that there are serious problems with local officials. On a deeper level, there is something wrong with Beijing Youth Daily's political system.

If it weren't for the huge injustice that had nowhere to be redressed, no one would dare to come to the capital to file a complaint.

Chu Shiyu took a deep breath and frowned.

"what happened?"

"Your Majesty, this couple claimed to be from Quanyang County, Jiangzhou. Their land and hilltops were occupied by the county magistrate of Quanyang County. Their three sons were tortured to death by the county magistrate, and one of their daughters died and the other was sold as a prostitute. They sued the prefect of Jiangzhou, but the prefect not only ignored the matter, but also protected each other and wanted to kill them to silence them. The old couple had no choice but to flee all the way to the capital. This time, we are filing a complaint with the emperor to seek justice for our children."

When Chu Shifeng heard the word "Jiangzhou", his expression changed almost instantly.

The others all looked towards Chu Shifeng intentionally or unintentionally. Everyone knew that the prefect of Jiangzhou was Chu Shifeng's maternal grandfather. Jiangzhou was rich and had always been known as the Jiang family's territory.

Chu Shifeng seemed to have transformed into a tiger, waiting for the right moment to strike, with a sharp murderous intent hidden in his coldness.

"Did Lord Meng investigate this matter thoroughly and report it?"

Meng Yongliang lowered his head in a timid manner, but still managed to speak: "I have investigated, and the couple brought a lot of evidence, which confirmed that they had indeed complained to the governor of Jiangzhou. Although these evidences cannot directly prove whether the murder and land invasion case is true, they are sixty years old, with white hair, and one was injured and the other was disabled when they entered the hall, with tears in their eyes. Even I could not bear it, so I came to the court today to report this matter to Your Majesty."

These words shut Chu Shifeng up. Although he wanted to refute, he couldn't find any words to say.

Seeing Chu Shifeng's fists clenched so tightly that veins were bulging, Chu Shitong finally felt relieved.

The reason why Chu Shitong didn't attack Meng Yongliang was because of today.

In their previous life, the old couple went to the prefectural governor in the capital to file a complaint, but when Meng Yongliang heard that they were from Jiangzhou, he was afraid of offending Chu Shifeng and did not accept the case at all.

The old couple was penniless and their complaint was futile, so they could only beg for a living in the capital city temporarily. It was not until the disabled elder of the couple died of illness in a deserted temple that the old woman arrived at the gate of the palace with a fearless attitude. She wrote down her grievances in blood on the road in front of the palace and then bit her tongue to commit suicide.

Only then did Chu Shiyu know about the affairs in Jiangzhou.

In this life, Meng Yongliang was under the influence of Chu Shitong, so when they came to complain, Meng Yongliang took it reluctantly.

It can be said that everything Meng Yongliang did today was instigated by Chu Shitong behind the scenes.

Chu Shiyu's face was terribly gloomy, "Can that couple enter the palace now?"

"I have brought them here and am waiting outside the palace now."

"Let them in."

Wang Zexu immediately went out to call for people.

When the palace door opened and the couple appeared before everyone, some civil and military officials even gasped.

The old man had a head full of white hair, and purple scars almost everywhere he could see. One leg was on the ground, and the other was an empty trouser leg. He couldn't move on his own and could only move by holding onto the old woman's shoulders.

The old woman had a hunched back, her face was haggard and pale, her hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and her eyes were terribly swollen. It was hard to imagine how long she had been crying, her eye membranes were white, and it looked like she was almost crying herself blind.

The two of them supported each other and walked forward slowly, as if a gust of wind could blow them down.

Such a pitiful appearance, you might not see one even once in ten years in the capital.

When Chu Shiyu saw this, his brows became even more serious.

He waved his hand, and Wang Zexu immediately ordered someone to come forward and help the two of them into the hall.

The old woman helped the old man to kneel down, and there were two thumps. Her hoarse voice and faint tears in her eyes were heartbreaking.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."

Every sentence was accompanied by the sound of kowtow. It was hard to imagine how they escaped from Jiangzhou to the capital.

Chu Shiyu said: "Stand up, since you are filing a complaint with the emperor, tell us all your grievances."

The old couple then narrated their experience.

Chu Shitong had heard it once in her previous life. She remembered every event in the fight for the throne clearly. She knew the mastermind behind the incident, including the eighty-four officials who were implicated later.

During this time, she had been quietly observing the expressions of Chu Shifeng and Chu Shiyu.

The more Chu Shiyu listened, the angrier he became. No one in the court dared to breathe loudly, for fear of angering the dragon.

Chu Shifeng stared at the old couple coldly, as if he was ready to kill them at any time, with a mixture of anger and hatred.

This old couple used to be wealthy people living at the foot of the Three Goddesses Mountains in Jiangzhou. The old man’s surname was Shen and the old woman’s surname was Liu.

There are seven Shennv Mountains in total, stretching continuously.

But except for the Shou Mountain, the other six mountains are not big. During the Tianxuan period, the Three Mountains of the Goddess were bought by the ancestors of the Shen family.

Jiangzhou is humid and rainy all year round and is a major fruit producing area. The Shen family's hilltop is dedicated to growing fruit trees, and the fruits are supplied to various places in Beiqing. They live a very comfortable life.

An Changshu, the county magistrate of Quanyang County, was newly appointed six years ago. According to Shen, he has been eyeing Sanshan since he took office, and has been hinting in various ways that he wants to buy the mountain over the past six years.

Shen was afraid of getting into trouble and thought about selling it, but An Changshu was only willing to pay five hundred taels of silver for the mountain that was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With such a huge price difference, no one would be willing to sell it.

Seeing that Shen didn't know what was good for her, An Changshu tried to force Shen to agree.

First, he falsely accused the eldest son of Shen of stealing in school, causing him to be expelled from the school. Later, when the eldest son of Shen was leaving the school, he sent someone to hit him with a carriage. Unexpectedly, the collision killed him directly on the street.

At that time, Shen didn't know that all this was arranged by someone behind the scenes.

Until something happened to the people in the family one after another.

The second son was inexplicably charged with street disturbance and sentenced to ten years in prison. The third son was picked on by the son of the county magistrate and was beaten to death on the street by a group of people.

The eldest daughter was kidnapped by hooligans and bullied. She couldn't bear the humiliation and committed suicide by hitting her head against the wall. The youngest daughter was only twelve years old and was kidnapped and sold to a brothel.

The title deed of the mountain was changed by directly exercising power, the old couple was driven out of their home, and their property was seized. They took the little money they had left and hurried to Jiangzhou City overnight to file a complaint with the prefect, thinking they could get justice. However, they turned out to be birds of a feather, and they almost died in Jiangzhou City. Fortunately, Shen realized that something was wrong, and took the old woman to the capital.

He was chased all the way and one of his legs was chopped off. Fortunately, he survived, but he had very little money left.

Now that I have come to the capital, my energy is almost exhausted.

The tragic incident was recounted in detail, and as the crumpled pieces of paper evidence were handed over, no one dared to say how serious the incident was.

Chu Shiyu read the evidence on the paper and flew into a rage. He slammed the table and shouted, "How can this be possible! How dare such a thing happen in Jiangzhou! They simply don't take me seriously!"

All the ministers knelt down immediately.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Chu Shiyu said: "Investigate! Investigate for me! I want to see how many states I want to investigate when I am in power!"

Trouble has occurred in Jingzhou and Huizhou one after another, and now Jiangzhou is coming to the door. Isn't this a slap in the face of Chu Shiyu?

He had been on the throne for only twenty years, and these officials were all promoted by him personally. When the previous emperor was in power, there had never been a phenomenon of purges of officials throughout the state.

This kind of thing is simply a clear testament to his inability to handle government affairs and select officials.

Meng Yongliang received Chu Shitong's gaze and immediately said, "Your Majesty, it will take a long time to investigate this matter. It would be better if the couple stayed with the Dali Temple and protected the witnesses in case of any accidents."

Dali Temple: "......"

Chu Shixuan said, "I think what Lord Meng said makes sense. The Shen couple were hunted all the way to the capital. It seems that the people of the Jiangzhou prefect have already arrived in the capital."

Chu Shitong murmured to himself in a very low voice: "It seems that the eldest brother knows a lot about this matter."

When Chu Shifeng heard Chu Shitong's words, he instantly understood the meaning. He was afraid that things would get out of control, so he quickly said, "Father, I think this matter is worth pondering. If such a thing really happened in Jiangzhou, how could I not know about it for so many years? These two people seem to be filing a complaint with the emperor, but if you think about it carefully, there are many things wrong. If someone in Jiangzhou really wanted to kill them, how could the Shen couple escape all the way here in their sixties? Maybe someone deliberately sent this couple to gain sympathy and frame Jiangzhou."

Shen was so angry that she almost couldn't breathe. She pressed her chest hard to breathe and shouted at the top of her lungs: "My grievances are all the fault of my children. I don't ask Your Majesty to get my family property back, but I just want my children's souls to rest in peace in the underworld! If there is even a single word of falsehood in what I said, I am willing to be torn into pieces by five horses!"

"That's what you said." Chu Shifeng glanced at him coldly, his black hair couldn't hide a certain sharpness, "But the evidence you handed over is just a report to the Jiangzhou prefect, which doesn't mean that the facts really happened."

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Chu Shiyu said irritably: "Shut up!"

The hall then became quiet again.

Chu Shitong knew that Chu Shifeng was deliberately making things suspicious.

The originally clear case was turned into part of the struggle for succession.

If this couple was sent here intentionally by someone, and the evidence was deliberately kept to aggravate the facts, then they were coming for Chu Shifeng.

Chu Shifeng knew that the emperor was suspicious, so he distorted the facts and made everyone think too much.

Anything, as long as it is related to the fight for the throne, cannot be viewed in a one-sided way.

Chu Shiyu glanced coldly at Chu Shixuan and Chu Shifeng, as if he was thinking about who should do this matter.

Chu Shihuan had just returned from Huizhou after solving a case. Although he had made a contribution, if he were to investigate the matter again, the people might start to speculate about the position of the Crown Prince.

He hoped that all the princes would be useful, but he didn't want them to be too useful. If one of them kept making contributions, the pressure of appointing a crown prince would increase.

Chu Shihuan married a princess from a foreign country.

His eyes swept across Chu Shihuan and Chu Shihan, and fell on Chu Shitong without stopping.

Chu Shiyu was silent for a long time and still hadn't decided on anyone to investigate the case.

The Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty, I suggest that His Royal Highness Prince Yuan investigate this matter. Prince Yuan has never been to Jiangzhou, and he handles affairs fairly and effectively. I think His Royal Highness Prince Yuan is the best candidate."

Chu Shitong was secretly dissatisfied.

Nonsense, Chu Shixuan is your grandson in name only, you must be eager to let Chu Shixuan go.

But she felt that Chu Shiyu had already become suspicious of Chu Shixuan because of this incident, so she was unlikely to let Chu Shixuan go.

Chu Shifeng is definitely impossible.

Chu Shihuan had just returned, and there was a high probability that in order to avoid him from having consecutive contributions, he would not go. Then the only ones left were myself and Chu Shihan.

Chu Shifeng seemed to think the same way. He secretly touched Chu Shitong's hand and signaled her with his eyes to come forward and introduce herself.

Chu Shitong pursed his lips and pretended that he didn't miss it.

Chu Shifeng glared anxiously, and Chu Shitong had to pretend to be forced and spoke.

“If Father can’t choose a suitable candidate, why not choose an adult to go and investigate.