I was given the contraceptive soup and became the emperor's white moonlight

"Your Majesty, it is my incompetence that has delayed me on the mountain for a long time." Li Zhao knelt on the ground, clasped his fists, and presented the memorial he had written.

"Li Qing, please get up first. If you have anything to say, we can talk after breakfast." He had been in love all night last night and was still immersed in the land of tenderness, unable to extricate himself. Even his usual mood had improved a lot.

Li Zhao was unaware of what was happening in the palace. Looking at Xiao Heng's obviously happy mood, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps he could get through today smoothly.

Xiao Heng waved his hand and invited him to sit down. The palace maids brought in plates of exquisite pastries. While eating, Xiao Heng asked him about his life in the mountains in the past few days.

I don't know when the snow outside stopped, the sun was hanging high in the sky again, and the scattered drops of melted snow had long since melted into the soil without leaving any trace.

Xiao Heng finally put down his chopsticks. After the palace maids jumped in and took away the bowls and chopsticks, he asked, "So many days have passed. Li Qing should give me an answer, right?"

Li Zhao's expression darkened, and he knelt straight on the ground, "I did find out something."

"only……"

Xiao Heng watched him kneel down without saying anything. From Li Zhao's performance early in the morning, he could feel that the answer was probably very different from what he wanted.

"Speak." He uttered a word slowly, and the majesty of the royal family was displayed vividly in an instant.

Li Zhao felt a sense of oppression coming over him. He straightened his back and replied, "I led people to search the entire back mountain, and except for those wild wolves, we did not see any other ferocious beasts."

"The railing on the mountain is broken. I guess the beasts came in from there."

"You mean, the wild wolves that broke into the autumn hunt were just an accident?" Xiao Heng narrowed his eyes, obviously not satisfied with his answer.

"Yes, but no." Li Zhao said ambiguously, and sure enough, the dissatisfied look on Xiao Heng's face became more serious.

"If this kind of accident happens, do you know how I will deal with it, Li Zhao?" Xiao Heng bent a finger and tapped the table. "All the people in the Imperial City Bureau who were involved in this matter will have their heads chopped off next spring!"

"The wolf's intrusion may be an accident, but the broken fence is not." Li Zhao's heart trembled, and he managed to calm down and continued, "I have caught the culprit and he is now in custody at the Dali Temple awaiting your majesty's decision."

"What do you mean?" Xiao Heng frowned.

"I found that although the fences have been in disrepair for a long time, there are very obvious flat cuts on the broken parts. It is obvious that they were not broken naturally or caused by wild animals."

"I sent people to investigate the village at the foot of the mountain, and finally caught a woodcutter. He said that he had the evil intention because he saw that the trees there were growing well and there were some valuable woods."

"Plus, the fence had not been maintained for a long time, which led people to believe that the place was unattended. He then used an axe to break through the fence and entered the mountain."

"It was only after he entered the mountain that he discovered that there were people patrolling the mountain. The woodcutter got scared and ran away."

"As for why the wild wolf appeared." Li Zhao paused, "It's probably because the weather is cold and it's getting harder to find food. Plus, there are so many wild animals in the enclosure that they attracted their attention, so they came in through the gap."

"I also found wolf hair hanging on the broken fence."

"So, now that we have all the evidence and witnesses, I have made the final conclusion?" Xiao Heng looked up at Li Zhao.

Li Zhao clearly felt the emperor's displeasure, but he searched the back mountain up and down in the past few days and saw no one except the woodcutter who confessed, let alone any evidence.

"Wolf hair on the fence, woodcutter chopping wood, fence in disrepair." Xiao Heng sneered, "Is this the answer you have given me in the past half month?"

Li Zhao swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

He had worked at the Dali Temple for many years, and what he disbelieved the most was coincidence. How could there be so many coincidences in this world? This set of evidence seemed so reasonable, but there was always something bigger hidden behind such things.

But no matter how hard he tried, Li Zhao just couldn't find any flaws. No, it should be said that apart from those coincidences, he couldn't find anything.

However, if someone really wanted to rebel, the trick of inviting wolves into the mountains would not be enough. When Xiao Heng went out, he was naturally surrounded by heavy troops, and it was impossible for a few wild wolves to get close to him.

That is why Li Zhao returned to Beijing with such an answer.

"Huh!" Xiao Heng took a long breath and looked straight at the person kneeling on the ground, "Li Zhao, you'd better convince me."

"Otherwise, I will definitely hold you accountable for dereliction of duty!"

"Your Majesty, calm down!" Li Zhao clenched his fists and half raised his head and said, "I have served in the Dali Temple for many years, and I have seen a few treacherous and cunning people."

"I dare not believe such a coincidence, but after eliminating all possibilities, the remaining answer will only be the truth, even if it is impossible to happen."

"The truth? The truth is just a ridiculous accident?" Xiao Heng felt like he was about to laugh out of anger.

"But Your Majesty, if someone really wanted to rebel and usurp the throne, why didn't they ambush us on the way down the mountain?" Li Zhao did not dodge this time. "If it was really a trap set by someone who wanted to rebel, how could they just kill a few wolves and get away with it?"

"Treason is a serious crime, and the entire clan will be executed and infamous for eternity. How dare you act on your own without careful planning?"

"Sometimes the truth is so absurd." After saying this, Li Zhao stopped talking and knelt on the ground, allowing Xiao Heng to decide for him.

Although this matter is full of doubts, what Li Zhao said is not unreasonable. The assassin had plenty of opportunities to take action during the few days in the mountains, but from beginning to end, nothing happened except for the accident with the wolves.

Such means and practices do not seem like arrangements that would be made by someone who is planning to usurp power.

"The fence has been in disrepair for a long time, and no one knew it was damaged. The people in the Imperial City Department who were ordered to deal with this matter were all given 20 strokes of the cane and fined one year's salary. The general in charge was stripped of his title and demoted to an ordinary soldier."

"Yes!" Li Zhao just agreed, and then he heard Xiao Heng continue: "As for the woodcutter, I took into consideration that he was confused for a moment and his wife was not harmed, so I ordered the Dali Temple to arrest him and put him in prison, and execute him according to the law."

"Yes, I obey your order!"

Xiao Heng glanced at Li Zhao and waved his hand to let him leave. Li Zhao was promoted by him, and Xiao Heng undoubtedly believed in him.

Li Zhao had made many contributions during these years by his side, and Xiao Heng was unwilling to punish him for such a thing. However, he had been investigating such matters for a full half month, and it would be difficult for him to establish his authority if he did nothing.

Xiao Heng thought for a while and said, "Li Zhao, you have failed in your work. I order you to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors for half a month. Do you admit your guilt?"

"I plead guilty!" Li Zhao kowtowed to express his gratitude, "I will reflect on my mistakes every day!"