However, it’s okay that only the Seventh Prince is here today.
Chu Zhongtian walked to the Seventh Prince's table, picked up a chair and sat down.
"Your Highness, have you met An Jun?"
The Seventh Prince nodded.
He felt that Chu Anyun might have a little affection for him, but it was just a little, far from being in love.
But the two of them did have a pleasant chat before, at least they were able to make some jokes to each other.
Unexpectedly,
"What Anjun said does not represent my opinion."
Chu Zhongtian's face was serious.
Seventh Prince: "..."
"Mr. Chu, if you have something to say, just say it."
"I have advised the emperor to temporarily stop your selection of the prince's consort. This matter may be delayed for a long time, perhaps until the beginning of spring next year."
Both of them knew that the early spring of next year might be a conservative estimate.
The Seventh Prince said nothing.
Chu Zhongtian pondered.
"Yesterday, the Ministry of Justice found me and told me something."
The Seventh Prince was stunned and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Something strange did happen in the palace, but it has been dealt with by my father."
He briefly explained the key points of the White Bone Case.
Chu Zhongtian was surprised.
"Your Highness, by revealing the secrets of the harem like this, aren't you afraid that this will be known by others?"
The Seventh Prince shook his head.
He was willing to speak because he had thought it over carefully.
"Mr. Chu, there are only you and me here. What I just said came out of my mouth and entered your ears. There is no way it can be spread as 'evidence', right? If so, how can we let others know?"
Chu Zhongtian was silent.
He saw a temperament that was gradually becoming stronger in the Seventh Prince.
The Seventh Prince smiled.
"Moreover, Li Qingcha can make inferences from the few facts. Mr. Chu is in the cabinet, and no news in the world can escape your eyes. Even if you are not as good at criminal law, it should not be difficult to make a rough inference."
This is correct.
Chu Zhongtian received news yesterday that Chen Wujiu, the imperial physician of the Imperial Hospital, had died in the palace.
He immediately looked through the records of Chen Wujiu after he entered the Imperial Hospital, combined with the news from the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Imperial Hospital, and gradually sorted out the clues of the incident.
There are so many connections, and it seems that they are all related to the Xun family's entry into the palace four years ago.
Considering the rumors coming out of the palace, it is not difficult to guess the whole incident, except for the details.
Chu Zhongtian stared at the Seventh Prince.
What really surprised him was the courage shown by the Seventh Prince in this matter.
How long has it been since I last heard such frank words since I became a Grand Secretary?
"Your Highness, why are you telling me this?"
The Seventh Prince shook his head.
"It's not for anything, I'm just curious about who planned this."
There was a flash of anger in his eyes.
Chu Zhongtian suddenly realized,
After all, it was Concubine Lin who was framed, and her son would definitely be angry.
Moreover, the harsh environment in the harem...
Chu Zhongtian said: "Does your Highness have any guesses?"
The seventh prince's eyes were sharp.
"Mr. Chu, I have been so open with you, please don't use such a probing way of speaking."
Chu Zhongtian was stunned for half a second, then burst into laughter.
After laughing heartily, he nodded slowly.
"Okay, then I'll ask directly. Your Highness probably has a candidate suspect in mind. Who do you think is the most likely?"
The Seventh Prince hesitated for a moment.
"Queen."
"What's the reason? Or to put it in criminal terms, what's the motive?"
"..."
stare--
The Seventh Prince's gaze was burning.
Of course it’s because of Chu Anyun, what else could it be?
Chapter 415 is just for passing the buck! ?
Add more.
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Chu Anyun participated in the selection of the prince's wife.
This is the source of the incident.
Some people in the palace couldn't sit still, simply because they didn't want to see the Seventh Prince and the daughter of the Prime Minister get together.
This is also the reason why Chu Zhongtian requested to stop the selection after the incident.
Of course, this is not only Chu Zhongtian’s choice. All forces have this demand, but he just took the initiative to say it out.
The Seventh Prince was in deep thought.
"The existing evidence is not enough to explain anything, so we can only infer the motive. Then, who will benefit in the end by framing Zhongcui and Xianfu at the same time?"
Chu Zhongtian did not respond.
The evidence is actually very easy to find. All you need to do is let the sorcerers from the Imperial Observatory enter the palace and use some qi-observing techniques.
No matter what, the emperor had not made up his mind, which was why he was bound by the old rule that "the art of fortune-telling cannot be used on palace ladies", resulting in the matter remaining unclear.
Chu Zhongtian said: "If she is really the queen, then her actions are not very smart."
The Seventh Prince was stunned.
"Why do you say that? Relying on the Queen Mother as a shield, isn't this a successful escape?"
“When using a strategy, one cannot use a single strategy alone; there must be several strategies to complement each other. Therefore, the most important thing when using a strategy is to follow the trend and take advantage of it. Short-sightedness will inevitably lead to mistakes.”
"!!!"
The Seventh Prince had a serious expression and sat up straight.
He knew that Chu Zhongtian was teaching him.
There is a saying that goes, "It is easy to find a teacher of classics, but difficult to find a teacher of humanity." Chu Zhongtian has been in the officialdom for decades and has experienced the ups and downs of it. He is definitely qualified to be one's own teacher.
The Seventh Prince said, "Please Mr. Chu, help me solve this puzzle."
Chu Zhongtian nodded slowly, expressionless, and said, "There is an idiom called 'a secret that is as profound as a secret'. Your Highness, do you know what it means?"
Although it was a questioning tone, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Chu Zhongtian did not need an answer.
"..."
"..."
"..."
There was silence for a while.
Chu Zhongtian continued, "The apprentice of the Xun family died in the palace during the New Year. This was indeed done by the Queen Mother. Everyone in the harem with a little status knew about it, but no one said much. This is the best example of 'keeping it a secret'. Now, some people are using this as an excuse. It seems smart, but in fact it can only seek temporary peace."
The Seventh Prince has understood.
The world belongs to the emperor.
Take Zhang Kun of the Yizi Dao School as an example. He used the capital as a chessboard and played chess with Wei Xian on top of the emperor's head, offending the emperor.
The results of it?
Within two days, the discussion among the three sects was forcibly ended.
The same is true for the White Bone Case.
The Seventh Prince put himself in the Emperor's perspective and naturally hated the person behind the scenes for using the Queen Mother as a shield.
Filial piety is the most important virtue, so the emperor could not lose his temper and could only suppress his anger.
The person behind the scenes has lost his holy heart. Isn't that a typical case of Yin Xiao Shi Da?
The Seventh Prince asked again: "But even if An Yun... er... Mr. Chu's daughter passed the selection, the emperor might not agree."
Chu Zhongtian shook his head.
"You still don't understand the meaning of going with the flow. You know, going with the flow doesn't necessarily mean following the emperor's wishes."
"what?"
"The crown prince is the foundation of a country. Hundreds of eyes of the civil and military officials in the court are fixed on the crown prince. Have you ever thought about what it means to the crown prince if An Yun enters the final round of the selection of the crown prince's consort?"
The Seventh Prince fell into deep thought.
The final round of the selection of the prince's wife is to pass the eyes of Concubine Lin, the Queen Mother, and the Emperor. One of the three is chosen, which is the so-called "choose three".
The fact that the daughter of the cabinet's chief minister could enter the selection process was a blow to the crown prince's prestige.
Moreover, if I were chosen...
The consequences could be disastrous!
Chu Zhongtian said: "The Queen's actions may seem beautiful, but she had no choice. Perhaps, she did not want to act so hastily, but the position of the Crown Prince was like a constraint that prevented her from...well...of course, these are just assumptions, and there is no evidence to show that the frame-up was done by the Queen."
The Seventh Prince complained in his heart about the old fox.
He said, “Thank you for your teachings, sir.”
Chu Zhongtian waved his hand.
"I'm just advising you to remember to go with the flow. Secondly, don't care about the gains and losses of a city or a place, and look at the long term. In this regard, you must not learn from Li Qingcha."
Seventh Prince: ???
Why are you suddenly mentioning Li Qingcha?
Seeing that he was puzzled, Chu Zhongtian said, "Li Qingcha has a lot of underworld habits, and he enjoys taking revenge. Especially for revenge, he never waits overnight, which is not good for him to mix in the court."
The Seventh Prince was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.
"Mr. Chu, I'm afraid you have some misunderstanding about Li Qingcha."
"misunderstanding?"
"Yes, it must be a misunderstanding. I am familiar with Li Qingcha and know his personality traits. If he faces a strong enemy, such as a First-Rank Supervisor, he will definitely not confront him head-on."
The Seventh Prince was very sure.
Chu Zhongtian pondered, then nodded and said nothing more.
He stood up,
"Your Highness, Concubine Lin was almost convicted. You should have realized how dangerous this place is. When the autumn hunt begins, you must be alert and don't let anyone catch you."
