Children of Loulan

Chapter 457 A fish slipped through the net

Upon hearing this, Batur's face turned pale instantly. His knees softened and he fell to the ground with a plop. His body trembled and he cried, "Father, I have been wronged! I have never seen any silver! If you don't believe me, you can send someone to search my mansion to see if there is any so-called silver!"

The king was annoyed when he heard his words. He knew that if Batur was really responsible, the silver would have been transferred away long ago. And such a large amount of silver was enough to support an army. Thinking of this, the king could not help but recall the incident of Toheti raising private soldiers many years ago, which made him more suspicious of Batur.

So he stared expressionlessly at Batur, who was kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, and said indifferently: "Third brother, since you insist that you are wronged, and this person swears that it was instructed by you, then let me send someone to investigate this matter in depth. However, before the results of the investigation come out, you must not step out of the palace!"

The king's words were like an imperial decree, with no room for maneuver. It was obvious that he was going to put Batur under house arrest in the palace. Batur's face showed a look of being wronged. He looked at the king pitifully and cried out sadly, "Father!"

However, the king seemed to have no interest in his complaints, and even felt annoyed, so he interrupted him rudely: "Alright, no need to say more, this matter is settled. As for your son's case, I have already investigated it thoroughly, and it is indeed he who killed the girl. Originally, I was going to sentence him today, but now you have become the defendant, so I will deal with your case together after I have thoroughly investigated it!"

After hearing the king's words, Batur was extremely reluctant, but he dared not argue anymore. He could only bow his head and said, "Thank you, father!"

Seeing this, the king waved his hand and said impatiently: "Okay, okay, you go down." After that, he turned around and no longer looked at Batur.

Batur stood in the middle of the room, looking around. The doors and windows were closed tightly, and there was no air in. His eyes were as cold as ice, revealing a hint of chilliness.

At this moment, a man dressed in eunuch's clothes tiptoed in. His footsteps were light, as if he was afraid of making any noise and attracting other people's attention.

The eunuch walked up to Batur, bowed, and said respectfully: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, they will definitely not find anything."

Batur snorted coldly, obviously not satisfied with this answer. He frowned and said, "Hmph, that's the best, but I never thought that there would be a fish that slipped through the net!"

The eunuch quickly agreed, "Your Highness is right, but the fish that escaped is now imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Should we..." As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a killing gesture in the air.

Seeing this, Batuer's face darkened and he angrily shouted, "Foolish! If he were dead now, wouldn't it be even more difficult for me to explain it?"

The eunuch was startled, realizing that his proposal was a bit rash. He immediately lowered his head and said in panic, "It was my fault for being so foolish. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Batur calmed down his anger a little and continued, "However, you did remind me. Since someone was able to intercept Toheti's private soldiers and come out to disrupt the situation at the critical moment of assassinating the prince, he must not want me to get out safely. So, send someone to keep a close eye on the prison and don't let that person die."

In another palace in the palace, the atmosphere seemed a bit solemn. A person dressed in the attire of a head aunt was standing there respectfully, reporting something to the reclining person.

"Your Majesty, Prince Cheng has been confined to the palace, and the king has also ordered the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to jointly investigate the matter." The voice of the aunt in charge was clear and low.

The person lying sideways was the middle-aged woman known as the Empress. After hearing the news, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a satisfied smile.

"Oh, really? It seems that the king still cares about the prince." There was a hint of sarcasm in Xilin's voice.

Aunt Kui, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but interrupt and said, "My queen, considering King Cheng's cautiousness, it will be difficult for the king to find any substantial evidence."

Xilin sneered and replied, "Of course, so we have to help the king."

Aunt Kui seemed to understand Xilin's meaning and asked quickly, "What is your Majesty going to do?"

Xilin chuckled, with a sly look in her eyes. "We have reached an agreement with that person for so many years, and now it is time for her to take action. Go tell her that the palace has not been lively for a long time, and it is time to make it lively again."

When she said this, her eyes intentionally or unintentionally looked at the candlestick beside her, as if the candle flame could also sense her intention and jumped slightly.

When Aunt Kui heard Xilin's words, she immediately understood what she meant. She quickly responded, "Yes, I will arrange it right away and have someone pass the message to her."

Xilin continued, "However, it is not enough for her to take action alone. We must also take action." She paused for a moment, then continued, "I think we should also send someone to visit the witness in the prison and give him some 'care'."

Aunt Kui agreed with Xilin's idea. She nodded and said, "Yes, I understand what you mean. I will arrange for someone to go to the prison right away."

After the court session, the king returned to the royal study and sat at the desk, deep in thought. After a while, he asked, "How is the prince's injury?"

Aishan, who was standing nearby, heard the king's question and stepped forward and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, the prince's injury has recovered very well and he can walk now."

After hearing this, the king showed a trace of relief on his face. He nodded and said, "Well, that's good. Go and secretly summon the crown prince and Hawuer to the imperial study. Remember, don't alarm anyone."

Not long after, the two disguised themselves and successfully entered the imperial study. They knew in their hearts that the king summoned them this time just to discuss the affairs of King Xin and King Cheng. Although the affairs of King Cheng had not been fully investigated, the king had already figured it out and knew that this must be inextricably linked to him.

Although these two had conspired to assassinate the crown prince, they were after all the crown prince's brothers and the king's biological sons. If they really had to be executed, the king would still find it hard to let them go.

Soon, night fell, and all the palace gates were tightly closed and locked. King Cheng and his son were also placed under house arrest in the palace, and the gates were heavily guarded to prevent them from escaping.

At the same time, the prison was also heavily guarded. After the last patrol, the head of the prison began to lock each of the cell doors one by one. Not long after he locked all the doors, a fierce fight suddenly came from the cell. When the jailers heard the sound, they immediately became alert and rushed over to check.

When they arrived at the scene, they were surprised to find that a man in black was holding a sharp knife, ready to kill the witness who testified against Cheng Wang today.