Chapter 131: 131 plead guilty

Chapter 131: 131 plead guilty

Chapter 131131 Confession

Qin Xuan, who had just entered the camp, couldn't help but stop and could hardly look directly into the other person's eyes.

Who is this person? !

Qin Xuan immediately felt something was wrong. This was King Nanyang's tent. Why did this stranger sit at the top? !

Qin Xuan glanced half a circle around the camp, and his eyes fell on the young man in purple in the wheelchair next to him. His pupils shrank sharply, and he blurted out: "Brother, why are you here?!"

While talking, Qin Xuan recalled that when he entered the camp just now, the atmosphere in the camp was a bit strange, and there were many unfamiliar soldiers around him, and his heart sank. The ominous premonition became stronger, and the alarm bells rang loudly.

Qin Yao in the wheelchair stared deeply at Qin Xuan, who was two or three feet away, his younger brother who was only three years older than him and his biological brother from the same father and mother.

His eyes seemed to be looking at a stranger.

They are indeed strangers.

When he was eleven years old, his father asked him to be crowned the crown prince. For this purpose, he went to the capital. After that, he stayed in the capital as a hostage. It has been seven years now, so although he is the crown prince of Nanyang, , but there is neither military morale nor popular sentiment in Nanyang.

He is also drifting away from his relatives.

In the past seven years, he had never seen this younger brother. He only returned to Nanyang for the first time in April when he heard the news that his father was seriously ill... At that time, he was only worried about his father's illness, and he never thought that there would be something wrong later. These things!

Qin Yao's eyes flickered, and his heart surged, but his face was very calm, and there was something like a smile between his brows.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Qin Yao asked.

He spoke calmly, and only he and Gu Jue knew about the hardships of the past few months.

From the time Gu Jue rescued him back to the capital, until they secretly left the capital behind the emperor's back.

Gu Jue took him to the Northland first and mobilized an elite emergency marching force from the Northland Army. Then he rushed to Nanyang and launched a surprise attack on the Nanyang military camp.

Gu Jue always used his troops vigorously and resolutely, but in just half a day, he captured the military camp with thunderous force and controlled Mu Lin, the veteran general in charge of military affairs in the Nanyang army.

Mu Lin is a close confidant of King Nanyang and the second-in-command of the Nanyang Army.

King Nanyang died. Although Princess Nanyang asked for a title for her second son Qin Xuan, due to Gu Jue's interference, the new King Nanyang has not yet been established. Therefore, the military affairs of the army are temporarily in charge of Mu Lin.

Mu Lin was sitting at the bottom on the left side, looking back and forth at Gu Jue, Qin Yao and Qin Xuan with complicated expressions.

An hour ago, the camp was surrounded by a group of cavalry, and countless crossbows were aimed at the soldiers in the camp.

Mu Lin originally wanted to fight to the death, but found a familiar figure among the enemy—

Qin Yao, the eldest son of Prince Nanyang, committed parricide and absconded.

Mu Lin was shocked and angrily accused Qin Yao of destroying humanity, being unfilial and killing his father. However, Chen Wang Gu Jue appeared with Qin Yao. He personally vouched for Qin Yao, saying that he believed he had not killed his father, and also offered to call the second son Qin Xuan for questioning.

Mu Lin thought about it again and again and could only agree.

First, the situation is stronger than the person.

King Chen was supposed to be in the capital, but he sent troops to raid the Nanyang military camp without anyone noticing. Now that King Nanyang is dead, it is the time when the morale of the army is in turmoil. The current Nanyang army is like a sick tiger, vulnerable to a blow.

King Chen's sword has been placed on their necks. If he doesn't respond, it will be a disgrace to King Chen. I'm afraid it will lead to a **** storm, and the Nanyang army will definitely die and suffer countless casualties.

Secondly, Gu Jue asked him to summon the second young master Qin Xuan, which was actually just polite. Even if he didn't respond, Qin Yao could also go to Qin Xuan. By then, Qin Xuan's life might not be saved.

Thirdly, it is also the most important point.

The reputation of King Chen Gu Jue certainly has its weight in the army. King Chen has always been strict in running the army, clearly distinguishing rewards and punishments, and setting an example. He is praised by everyone, both in the Qi army and among the people.

In the history of Daqi, there was only one Gu Jue.

Gu Jue's ability to become famous all over the world and to intimidate Nan Hao was of course not only based on his surname and the late emperor's love for him, but also on who he was.

He means what he says, and he means what he means.

This matter was of great importance, so Mu Lin also called three other veterans as witnesses.

The deceased King Nanyang was very kind to him. He also didn't want the prince to die in an unknown way. He also wanted to see if the prince's death was really as hidden as King Chen said.

"Second Young Master," Mu Lin cupped his hands towards Qin Xuan and said politely and respectfully, "The Crown Prince said he wanted to see you, so the general specially invited Second Young Master to come over and talk."

"..." Qin Xuan was a little panicked when he saw Qin Yao. Now that he saw several veteran generals in the army, including Mu Lin, he felt calmer and his eyes calmed down.

He raised his hand and pointed at Qin Yao in the wheelchair, raised his voice angrily, and asked: "Brother, you killed your father and you still have the nerve to come back?!"

His thoughts were racing, thinking that since the stranger sitting behind the general's case could sit at the top as a matter of course, he must not be an ordinary person.

He had a look of indignation on his face, "Now that my father's body is still cold, you don't know how to repent, and you still entangle outsiders with the intention of rebelling, and you don't care about the life and death of Nanyang's soldiers and civilians."

"Brother, you really disappoint me!"

What he meant was that Qin Yao colluded with outsiders to rebel. Once the emperor thought that the Nanyang Palace and the Nanyang Army were plotting rebellion, then the soldiers, officials and officers of Nanyang would be implicated. It would be a capital crime, ranging from confiscating their homes to complicity to the nine tribes.

When Qin Xuan said this, all the generals nodded thoughtfully with solemn expressions.

In addition to Mu Lin, there was another triangular-eyed veteran who also knew Gu Jue's identity. He felt that Qin Yao was not only unfilial and patricide, but also ambitious and acted too unmeasured.

Even if Qin Yao said that he was wronged, shouldn't he stand up and let the emperor and Dali Temple hear the case? !

He is now directly using King Chen and the Northern Army to suppress them, and he is following a crooked path!

Qin Yao stroked his sleeves and twitched the corner of his mouth. Instead of being angry, he showed a cynical smile and asked Qin Xuan meaningfully: "I thought Nanyang was already 'conspiracy'?"

"..." Qin Xuan's pupils shrank slightly and his face turned pale.

He didn't expect Qin Yao to say that at all, and couldn't help but wonder if he knew something. His expression was flustered for a moment, but he soon calmed down again.

"Brother, I don't know what you are talking about." Qin Xuan raised his chin and said harshly, "Are you going to beat me up?"

Mu Lin and other veterans were all confused and looked back and forth at the brothers.

Gu Jue and Qin Yao both saw the subtle change in Qin Xuan's expression and looked at each other in tacit understanding.

But when ordinary people hear some relevant news, they will inevitably have some reactions. This reaction can be expressed on their faces, such as frowning, sneering, curling their lips, curling their lips, etc. It can also be expressed in their body movements, trembling, etc. , clenched fists, soft feet, sweating, etc.

Even if these changes are extremely subtle, even if they are just fleeting, there are traces to follow.

Although Qin Xuan did not admit it personally, his uncontrollable horror and panic at that moment said everything.

Qin Xuan really wanted to collaborate with the enemy!

Gu Jue's eyes flashed, thinking about some of the details Qin Yao told him, and he tapped the knuckles of his left hand twice on the general's case.

It seemed that everything was exactly as he expected.

Gu Jue's lips curled up slightly and he suggested: "There is no hidden secret behind the death of King Nanyang. Why not open the coffin and conduct an autopsy to find out the truth!"

What? ! Qin Xuan glared again, and blurted out excitedly: "No! My father died unjustly, and he has died with his eyes open. Now that he has been buried, he will be buried in peace. If he digs out his father's body, he won't even give him the whole body." It’s ridiculous to stay!”

Mu Lin and other veterans looked at each other and felt something was wrong.

Since ancient times, the Han people have attached great importance to burial and leaving the whole body intact.

The prince had devoted his whole life to serving the country and the people, and it was unbearable for them, the old people who had followed him for many years, to have no peace after his death.

He added in a calm tone: "Second Young Master Qin, what you said is wrong. I said I would open the coffin for an autopsy, but I didn't say I would let you die without a complete body. Could it be that Second Young Master Qin has something in his heart?"

Qin Xuan: "..."

Qin Xuan clenched his fists and his expression became stiff again. As the other party said, opening the coffin can only examine the surface of the body, and it does not necessarily destroy the body.

He wanted to explain that what he said was just human nature. However, Gu Jue, who had already achieved his goal, did not want to listen to his clever words at all, and threw out the next sentence: "The reason why you don't agree to open the coffin for an autopsy is because you don't want to Others discovered the true cause of your father's death..."

The expressions of Mu Lin and others changed slightly.

They were not present on the day King Nanyang died.

However, there happened to be several female family members of the general's palace there that day. When they and the princess heard the sound and came to the door of the outer study, they saw King Nanyang lying on the ground with a dagger stuck in his chest, and the prince Qin Yao was standing next to the body. . The second young master was only one step ahead of the princess and the others, and he was the first to speak out and denounce the prince for being cruel, unfilial and patricide, and for having someone take down the prince.

At that time, so many people witnessed it with their own eyes, and with Qin Yao "fleeing in fear of crime", no one suspected that there was something fishy.

Afterwards, Mu Lin and others also inspected the body of King Nanyang. There was no doubt that the dagger had killed him with one blow.

But now Gu Jue said that the cause of Nanyang King's death was not because of this, which made Mu Lin find it unbelievable.

Qin Xuan's forehead was beaded with beads of sweat. He took an angry step forward, but at the same time he avoided Gu Jue's gaze, which was so sharp that he seemed to be able to see through everything.

He turned to look at Mu Lin and others, and said angrily: "Old General Mu, are you just going to let him talk nonsense here?"

"There is no doubt that the cause of my father's death was a dagger inserted into his chest!"

"Did I ask you to speak?" Gu Jue raised his eyes slightly.

The corners of the narrow eyes were slightly tilted upward, and the pupils were cold and wise, just like the bright moonlight falling on the water, giving off a silvery glow.

"Crack!"

The next moment, a clear slap echoed through the camp, so loud and clear.

A gray shadow appeared in front of Qin Xuan. His face was tilted to one side after being beaten, and a clear five-fingerprint appeared on his left cheek.

His cheeks were visibly swollen and he looked very embarrassed.

Mo Chen cast a cold sidelong glance at Qin Xuan, his eyes piercing him as cold as a knife.

The prince is talking, but there is no room for him to interrupt here!

"How dare you hit me!" Qin Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief, his handsome features were sinister and ferocious, and his voice broke slightly.

How dare he hit himself? In all his life, no one has ever hit him in the face except his father!

Mu Lin and others frowned slightly, but remained silent.

Qin Xuan has not yet inherited the title of King of Nanyang, nor is he the heir apparent. He is just the second son of the palace. As King Chen, it is only natural that he wants to teach a junior who speaks rudely.

When Qin Xuan saw that Mu Lin and others were all turning a blind eye, Qin Xuan's eyes seemed to burst out with anger and resentment.

Gu Jue naturally noticed it and twitched the corner of his mouth nonchalantly.

He turned his right hand, and there was a dagger between his fingers as if by magic. Then he slowly pulled the dagger out of its sheath, the silver blade shining coldly. He played with the dagger casually.

Everyone present was an expert, and they knew as soon as they saw it that this dagger was forged from a hundred steels, extremely sharp, and capable of breaking hair.

Qin Xuan wanted to say something else, but as soon as he moved his mouth, he felt a severe pain in his left cheek.

He looked at the flexibly flipping dagger in Gu Jue's hand, his eyes fixed on the blade, and he felt a little uneasy, as if he was afraid that the dagger would be thrown at him next moment.

He had a wild intuition in his heart: This man in front of him can do anything!

Gu Jue continued unhurriedly: "The real cause of your father's death was that he was poisoned by a poison called orchid grass."

"This kind of orchid grass is extremely rare. It is colorless and odorless, so if you put it in your father's meals or tea, he will not notice it."

"Lanze grass is a chronic poison. It will corrode a person's internal organs bit by bit. Ordinary doctors would only think that your father is suffering from the cold for a long time."

If it were a doctor like Chu Qianchen, he might be able to find something fishy, ​​and he might be able to save King Nanyang's life. Unfortunately, there is no "if" in this world, and people cannot be resurrected after death.

All they can do is seek justice for the dead and clear the grievances of the living.

Gu Jue turned the dagger again and rubbed the blade with his fingertips.

An oil lamp was lit on the general's desk, and the light from the lamp fell on the blade of the knife, and the dazzling light reflected happened to shine into Qin Xuan's eyes, causing him to lower his eyes and wander around.

Gu Jue continued: "My father is seriously ill, so you used this as an excuse to coax Qin Yao back to Nanyang, and then blamed Qin Yao for killing his father."

"You killed my father with a dagger not impulsively, but with a long plan to cover up the true cause of my father's death."

Following Gu Jue's words, Qin Xuan's face turned visibly pale, and there was more cold sweat on his forehead and back. Unknowingly, his clothes were almost soaked with sweat.

Mu Lin and others were all dumbfounded.

Even they could see that something was wrong with Qin Xuan's reaction. Could it be that...

Qin Xuan endured the severe pain in his cheek, knowing that he could no longer remain silent, and retorted: "Nonsense!"

"You are clearly trying to help my eldest brother. In order to clear up the relationship for him, you are talking nonsense and trying to pin the charge of patricide on me!"

"Where's the evidence? What evidence do you have?!"

That's right, what the other party said is actually all speculation, and he has no evidence at all!

When Mu Lin and others heard this, they had different expressions. Some frowned tightly, some looked at each other, some were surprised, and some were thoughtful.

They also realized that King Nanyang's death might indeed have a hidden secret as King Chen said, but Qin Xuan was right. King Chen had no evidence at all, and what he said was just speculation.

Gu Jue smiled slightly and looked at Qin Yao next to him again. They were just waiting for Qin Xuan's words!

Qin Yao clenched his right fist, his eyes dark.

Gu Jue looked steadily at Qin Xuan, who had a sinister expression, and said, "So, let's open the coffin."

The topic returned to the beginning.

Qin Xuan seemed to have thought of something, as if someone had pinched his vitals, or like a fish thrown ashore by huge waves, lingering for breath.

"The sky net is vast and sparse, and everything in this world that has been contaminated will inevitably leave traces. This is true for people and the same for things. The poison of orchid grass cannot be found in any trace during life, only traces are left behind. You can smell some orchid fragrance in a person's mouth and nose, but after death, there will be undisguised evidence left on the body. "

"Your father's body will not decay. He will remain intact at the moment of death."

"We only need to open the coffin and conduct an autopsy to verify this."

Qin Xuan's whole body trembled, like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

After Gu Jue's voice fell, the whole hall fell silent.

Mu Lin and others were dumbfounded.

Qin Xuan grew up in Nanyang. He had a reputation as a virtuous person since he was a child. He was intelligent and studious, had a gentle temperament, and was courteous to virtuous people. Over the years, the King of Nanyang often took him with him. It was obvious that he loved his second son very much. Qin Xuan lived up to Nanyang. In anticipation of the king, he had made several military exploits, both large and small. They, the old people, had also watched Qin Xuan grow up, and instinctively had a natural liking for him, thinking that he must be a good boy;

Qin Yao has not been back to Nanyang for more than seven years. He has a reputation as a **** both when he was a child and later in the capital.

To be honest, they once thought about proposing to King Nanyang to make Qin Xuan the heir apparent.

After hearing the truth at this moment, Mu Lin and others were unable to react, as if they had never known the familiar yet strange young man in front of them.

Looking back on what happened after King Nanyang passed away, they realized that everything was not without warning.

After King Nanyang passed away, they, the old generals, originally proposed to suspend the funeral for seven or seventy-nine days, but Qin Xuan was in a hurry to bury the body, saying that the weather was getting hotter and he was afraid that the body would rot and stink...

At this time, Qin Yao suddenly moved and threw the thing in his right hand towards Qin Xuan as fast as lightning...

Qin Xuan subconsciously wanted to hide, but he tripped on the carpet under his feet and staggered.

And that thing fell in front of his boots. It was a piece of jade jade pendant engraved with a unicorn. The unicorn on the jade pendant stared with eyes like bells, showing a fierce look.

This pair of eyes overlapped with another pair of eyes that remained fixed in his memory.

Mu Lin and others all knew this jade pendant. Qin Xuan often wore this jade pendant. He had one, Qin Yao also had one, and each of the brothers had one.

At this moment, Qin Yao's piece of Kirin jade pendant is still worn on him, so it is obvious that this piece belongs to Qin Xuan.

Qin Yao, who had been silent for a while, spoke again: "Qin Xuan, do you know that orchid grass is a secret treasure of the King Lin's family, used to preserve the bodies of people in the royal family. When the King Lin's family is dying, they will I started taking Lanze grass to prevent my body from decaying after death.”

"In order to obtain the title of King of Nanyang, you did not hesitate to collude with the Lin Kingdom, but your father discovered it. Although your father loves you, he also has a righteous heart and knows the right and wrong, so he put you under house arrest."

"From that moment on, you had murderous intentions towards my father..."

In late April, he heard the news that his father was seriously ill and hurried back to Nanyang. He was not wary of his relatives, and everything happened so fast that he only had time to take the piece from his father's hand. The jade pendant belonging to Qin Xuan was hunted down by Qin Xuan's people before he could make anything else. Two fists were no match for four hands. His legs were seriously injured, but his servants fought desperately to rescue him. Later, Gu Jue found him...

This time, before he and Gu Jue set off to Nanyang, they considered the matter carefully.

Gu Jue asked him to recall some details of his time in Nanyang. He recalled that he smelled a faint smell of bluegrass from his father's nose and mouth. At that time, he only thought it was the scent of incense and didn't think much about it. .

At that time, Gu Jue suspected that Qin Xuan had poisoned King Nanyang, which was why the King of Nanyang suddenly fell seriously ill in his prime. For this reason, Gu Jue once asked Chu Qianchen privately what kind of herbs could cause this kind of reaction in King Nanyang.

Chu Qianchen told him that there is a herb called Lanze grass in Lin State. Only the royal family of Lin Kingdom has it. It is also their secret treasure. It is difficult for civilians and foreigners in Lin State to get Lan Ze grass.

From that time on, Gu Jue and Qin Yao suspected that Qin Xuan had colluded with Lin State.

Sure enough.

He still can't believe that Qin Yao actually knows, knows everything, as if his every move is under his gaze, as if he can see through his heart.

He clearly did it flawlessly and the evidence was conclusive. There was no way Qin Yao could turn around. How could Qin Yao find out the truth!

It is clear that the title of King Nanyang is only one step away from him and is within easy reach. How could things develop to this point?

Qin Yao continued: "There must be evidence of your collusion with Lin State in your study. We just need to send people to search for it. This is irrefutable evidence!"

Qin Xuan's heart sank even lower, feeling like he was stuck in a cold swamp, and the smelly muddy water of the swamp had reached his lips.

It's over, it's all over!

His heart felt extremely cold, he broke out in cold sweat, and his whole body felt as if he had been fished out of water.

Anyone who looked at Qin Xuan's appearance would know that he was feeling guilty. What's more, several veteran generals present had been in the army for decades and had seen countless people with piercing eyes.

Mu Lin still doesn't understand that Qin Xuan really has a problem!

Mu Lin couldn't help but said: "Second Young Master, you...why are you so stupid!"

His words contained a bit of intolerance as an elder.

The other three veterans also had complicated expressions. On the one hand, they felt a little ashamed of Qin Yao. On the other hand, they really did not expect that Qin Xuan, who they had seen since childhood, would be so cruel as to kill his father and treason.

In this step, he made a complete mistake, and it was a mistake that was irreversible and irreparable.

Seeing that he had become the target of public criticism, Qin Xuan was afraid.

He recalled his father's disappointed expression when he discovered that he was colluding with Lin Guo. At that time, his father also said something similar: "Brother Xuan, why are you so stupid!"

At that time, his father severely punished him with a cane and locked him up. He only told the outside world that he was sick.

His father concealed his collaboration with the enemy. After all, this matter was related to the safety of the entire Nanyang Palace.

From that moment on, he knew that he would never be the crown prince again, even if he was better than Qin Yao, even if he was the one who had been with his father since childhood...

All this was forced on him by his father.

It's just that he wasn't careful enough. He shouldn't have bothered arranging people to witness "Qin Yao's father-killing". He should have killed Qin Yao and then announced "Qin Yao's father-killing". By then, the two corpses, There is no evidence to prove it, so it is not his final say.

But he let Qin Yao run away, but Qin Yao was rescued and returned to Nanyang again...

No matter what he thinks in his heart, he certainly can't recognize it on his face.

He knelt down with a plop and said: "Old General Mu, Old General Cheng, I did not collaborate with the enemy, it was the people of Lin State who intimidated me."

He burst into tears and spoke, saying that when he was leading troops on patrol last year, he was captured by the Lin people. The Lin people asked him about military aircraft and asked him to write a declaration of surrender in his own hand and take his fingerprints.

He told the story of his last resort with a sobbing expression, saying that the one who drugged King Nanyang was from Lin State, and the one who killed King Nanyang was also from Lin State.

In short, he had no choice but to do so.

Mu Lin and the other four veterans had different expressions. Some looked cold, some were doubtful, and some were a little moved, such as General Cheng.

General Cheng hesitantly shook the armrests of the chair.

The prince Qin Yao has been in Beijing as a hostage for many years, and he is also unfamiliar with these generals in Nanyang.

He originally thought that the second son Qin Xuan was useful, and he was determined to support him as the new heir apparent. He also paid a lot for this, and even arranged for his grandson to marry Qin Xuan's future Yue family...

Many people in Nanyang have long regarded him as the second son's confidant.

If Qin Xuan is convicted of collaborating with the enemy, then others may also doubt whether he also followed Qin Xuan in collaborating with the enemy, and suspect that he was also responsible for the death of King Nanyang.

Just thinking about it made General Cheng feel his scalp numb.

(End of chapter)