bestfiction Chapter 275 Where is the evidence?
Chapter 275 Where is the evidence?
He stretched out a trembling finger, pointed it straight at Yun Shang, and shouted hoarsely:
"Your Majesty, Yun Shang and I have always been at odds. We often argue when we are on official business. He must have set up this vicious scheme to kill me!"
Emperor Wenjing slowly opened his slightly narrowed eyes, his sharp gaze landing on Yun Shang like that of a hawk.
Yun Shang remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.
He calmly stepped out of the queue, his posture upright.
He bowed slightly and said in a calm and sincere tone, "Your Majesty, although I and Lord Wang may have occasional differences of opinion on official matters, everything we do is for the sake of the court."
“Since we are all officials in the court and serve as ministers in the same palace, it is inevitable that we will have disagreements when we work together. However, I would never use such a despicable and vicious scheme to plunge Lord Wang into this abyss just because of this difference.”
"I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision."
"Where is the evidence?" Emperor Wenjing asked coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth. His gaze swept back and forth between Wang Ling and Yun Shang, like two icy blades.
"Without evidence or proof, I do not believe either of you based on your words alone."
Everyone present could see that there was something strange about what was happening today.
Even if Wang Ling truly had homosexual tendencies, it's impossible that he would engage in such an outrageous act of public debauchery with someone at Huangjue Temple on the day of the Winter Festival.
He must have been set up.
So now, the most important thing is to figure out who exactly plotted against Wang Ling.
If this had happened in another context, Emperor Wenjing might have unhesitatingly ordered Wang Ling to commit suicide with a cup of poisoned wine and ceased investigating the matter.
But today is different. This happened at Huangjue Temple. To commit such a despicable act in the Buddha hall, defiling the gods and Buddhas, is utterly absurd.
They were caught red-handed again in full view of everyone, and all the court officials had seen it. This matter could not be easily let go.
Emperor Wenjing's cold gaze swept over each of his princes.
His eyes revealed scrutiny and contemplation.
With the crown prince still undecided, he had witnessed the open and covert struggles among the princes. So, whose scheme was this time?
Who exactly is behind Wang Ling?
Wang Ling was like an ant on a hot pan, kneeling on the ground.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and large beads of sweat slid down his pale cheeks, dripping onto the cold ground.
He clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging from the force, as he desperately racked his brains for evidence to prove what he was saying.
The more panicked I became, the blanker my mind became, and I couldn't think of anything.
Yun Shang stood calmly, his gaze meeting Chen Wang's without leaving a trace, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect, the principle that whatever cause you sow, you will reap the corresponding result, and today's cause and effect have all ripened.
Soon, the imperial guards sent by Emperor Wenjing to investigate hurriedly returned, kneeling on one knee to report:
"Your Majesty, it has been found that someone bribed a monk from Huangjue Temple to smuggle in a sack, but the monk did not know what was in the sack."
Upon hearing this, everyone stirred up a commotion.
The monk mentioned only accepted the money and secretly had a sack delivered to him; he knew nothing about what happened after that.
They had no idea how Wang Ling got into the main hall of Huangjue Temple, or why he was hanging out with the young monks there.
Today, the main hall of Huangjue Temple is heavily guarded. Apart from a few elderly monks responsible for chanting sutras, no other unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter. All of this proves one thing—
The person who had the opportunity to tamper with it must have been the old monk chanting sutras in the hall today.
The investigation continued, and soon clues were uncovered.
During the chanting of sutras, Abbot Mingkong of Huangjue Temple left for a quarter of an hour. Under the interrogation of the Imperial Guards, Mingkong could not bear the pain and confessed that he was indeed instructed to deliver a sack behind the Buddha statue.
But he didn't know what was inside the sack.
It is even more incomprehensible why the young monks in the temple would engage in such lewd acts with the person in the sack inside the Buddha Hall.
Mingkong was brought up by the Imperial Guards. He looked disheveled; his once neat cassock was now in disarray and covered in dust.
His face was as pale as paper, his lips were bloodless, and his body trembled as he was dragged before Emperor Wenjing.
When Prince Yong saw Mingkong being dragged up by the Imperial Guards, his heart tightened, and he subconsciously clenched his fists, his palms instantly breaking out in a cold sweat.
His brows furrowed tightly, and a hint of panic and confusion flashed in his eyes.
Why did the investigation lead to Mingkong...? He clearly didn't have Mingkong do it!
Yun Shang's gaze darkened slightly.
Seeing the sudden tension in Prince Yong's body, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
If Prince Yong dares to use such despicable means to scheme against his people, he should be prepared for a miserable end.
Mingkong and Emperor Wenjing knew each other since they were young.
When Emperor Wenjing was still a prince, Mingkong once gave him a fortune reading, saying that his destiny was extremely noble and that he had the appearance of an emperor.
In the end, Emperor Wenjing indeed ascended the throne.
From then on, Mingkong went from an unknown little monk to the abbot of Huangjue Temple. He gained the deep trust of Emperor Wenjing, who would have Mingkong chant sutras and pray for him almost every year, and believed his words without a doubt.
It is easy to imagine how furious Emperor Wenjing was when he learned that today's events were related to Mingkong.
Emperor Wenjing suppressed his raging anger, staring coldly at Mingkong. "I'll give you a chance to explain. Is this matter truly related to you?"
Mingkong had known Emperor Wenjing for many years and was quite familiar with his temperament.
The calmer the emperor's expression, the more terrifying the rage brewing within him.
But some things, once done, truly require a lifetime of atonement.
He had thought that the mistakes he made in his youth would be a secret that no one else could ever know, but only now did he realize that, like a wild goose leaving a trace, once something is done, it will leave a mark, and it cannot be made to disappear by deliberately ignoring it.
He will have to pay a much higher price.
Mingkong had been whipped many times, and his robe was now covered with glaring red welts. He knelt down tremblingly, "Your Majesty, this old monk is guilty."
This statement is tantamount to admitting that he was the one who brought the sack containing the royal decree into the Buddhist temple.
Emperor Wenjing rested his hand on the armrest, and due to his anger, the veins on the back of his hand bulged out like twisted earthworms.
His voice was surprisingly calm: "How did you manage to get the royal decree in under the guard of the Imperial Guards?"
"Your Majesty," Mingkong said, his head pressed against the floor tiles, his voice hoarse with weakness, "there is a tomb-raiding hole behind the Buddha statue, dug a few months ago by some tomb raiders who wanted to steal the golden Buddha. The hole leads to the rear hall..."
As soon as he finished speaking, imperial guards went to check.
Soon, the Imperial Guards returned, confirming what Mingkong had said.
There was indeed a hollow space beneath a floor tile behind the Buddha statue. The Imperial Guards went in to check and found obvious signs of dragging in the soil.
Now, we have both witness testimonies and physical evidence.