Inside the Imperial Palace Hall.
Bai Daqing bowed respectfully, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects! May I inquire as to why you have summoned here?"
"Smack!"
Emperor Dugu Jingtian slamd the table fiercely and barked angrily, "Bai Daqing! You have quite the nerve! How dare you attempt to assassinate the Prince Consort Dongfang Jian! It seems you have grown weary of living!"
"Ah?" Bai Daqing was startled, "I didn't attempt to assassinate Dongfang Jian. Could there be so misunderstanding here?"
"Misunderstanding?" Dugu Jingtian scoffed coldly, "If you had the audacity to commit the act, then have the courage to admit it! Don't try to shrink back like a coward!"
Bai Daqing's facial muscles twitched, "I truly did not attempt to assassinate Dongfang Jian, Your Majesty. Why are you so sure it was ? Simply because I bear grudges against Dongfang Jian? If that's the case, I object! There are countless who have been offended by Dongfang Jian and wish for his death."
"Take a look at what this is!" Dugu Jingtian threw sothing out, "Clang!" The object fell to the ground, emitting a crisp sound.
"A token?" Bai Daqing looked down, and was imdiately stunned, "This is my palace's token! How did it get here?"
"This was found on the assassin's body. Bai Daqing, what do you have to say for yourself?" Dugu Jingtian asked loudly.
"What? Found on the assassin's body?" Bai Daqing looked astonished, "How is that possible?"
"What is it?" Dugu Jingtian's expression darkened, "Are you suggesting that I am framing you?"
"No, no, no..." Bai Daqing waved his hands hurriedly, "I didn't an that..."
"Then what do you an?" Dugu Jingtian asked coldly.
"This... There must be sothing fishy going on... Yes, definitely sothing fishy." Bai Daqing said anxiously, "I never ordered anyone to assassinate Dongfang Jian! I swear it!"
"Then how do you explain this token?"
"Soone must have stolen the token from my palace in advance and placed it on the assassin so that it would be discovered after his death, in order to fra . Your Majesty, to convict solely based on this token, I refuse to accept it."
"Don't be hasty, I have other evidence."
"Other evidence?" Bai Daqing's heart tightened, "What other evidence?"
Dugu Jingtian looked at Bai Daqing with an indifferent expression, and spoke coldly, "Tell , did your palace lose ten guards a few days ago?"
"Ah?" Bai Daqing's face changed, "How did Your Majesty learn of this? Is Your Majesty... investigating ?"
"Less irrelevant talk. You only need to answer , yes or no."
"Yes... so ti ago, indeed, ten guards went missing from my palace..."
"Where did they go?"
"This... I'm not sure..."
"Not sure?" Dugu Jingtian sneered, "They were your guards, and you have no idea where they went? You're quite the incompetent lord, aren't you? Or perhaps you're feigning ignorance?"
"No, I'm not feigning ignorance, what I've said is the truth," Bai Daqing was sweating profusely from anxiety, "The ten guards vanished all of a sudden, I sent people to investigate, but they found nothing..."
"I've already verified it; the assassin who died was one of your missing guards."
"Ah?"
"Bai Daqing, you think you've been flawless, but you're actually full of holes. Upon a careful investigation, the truth erges."
"Your Majesty... I am being wronged."
"After all this, you still dare to argue!" Dugu Jingtian exclaid angrily, "I'll ask you again, recently these days, have you been in a particularly good mood? Holding banquets and drinking rrily with your subordinates every day?"
"Ah? Your Majesty even knows about that?"
"I'm asking you, why have you been so happy recently? Is it because you sent soone to assassinate Dongfang Jian and almost succeeded, so you feel very pleased?"
"No, no, no, it's not like that! I just heard that Dongfang Jian encountered an assassination attempt and his life or death is unclear. I was very happy after hearing it, thinking that scoundrel Dongfang Jian finally got what he deserved."
"Let ask you again, did you curse Dongfang Jian at the banquet, saying he has a big life?"
"It seems I did say sothing like that..."
"Bai Daqing!" Dugu Jingtian took a deep breath: "All the evidence points to you, and you still won't admit it?"
"I really didn't do it." Bai Daqing was so anxious he was almost crying. What kind of situation is this? I'm really being frad! Why does no one believe ? Bai Daqing had a sudden realization: "This is a preditated framing. I understand now, it must be Dongfang Jian, he orchestrated the entire assassination to fra !"
"Dongfang Jian?" Dugu Jingtian laughed, but it was a cold laugh: "Not to ntion whether Dongfang Jian could bring himself to harm himself, but could he steal the token from your manor? Could he bribe your guards?"
"Dongfang Jian was once my son-in-law, he frequently visited my manor, so it would have been easy for him to steal a token incidentally. Besides, he's quite familiar with the guards in my manor, so bribing the guards is definitely possible."
"Hmm? That sounds sowhat reasonable."
"Your Majesty, I beg you to discern the truth carefully. I am truly being wronged. You warned not to harm Dongfang Jian, and I've always kept it in mind. Even if I feel smothered with anger, I've never laid a hand on him. My loyalty to Your Majesty is clear as day and night." Bai Daqing shouted excitedly.
...
Dugu Jingtian was silent for a long while... Then Dugu Jingtian lifted his head to look at Bai Daqing: "Regardless, you are the pri suspect. I will have you locked up in the prison first. After we investigate clearly, we will deal with you. If you are innocent, I will release you imdiately and compensate you. But if it's proven that you are the mastermind behind this, then don't bla for being heartless and ruthless."
"Your Majesty..." Hearing that he was to be locked up in prison, Bai Daqing was suddenly terrified. What kind of place was a prison? It was a place where one was more likely to die than live, and once inside, it would be hard to get out again.
"Guards!" Dugu Jingtian shouted loudly: "Take Bai Daqing to the prison! Guard him strictly, allow no mistakes!"
"Clatter..."
A group of guards ran in, rushed over, and restrained Bai Daqing.
Bai Daqing didn't dare to struggle and could only watch with wide eyes as the guards took him away... "Your Majesty! I'm really being frad!" Bai Daqing's cry ca from outside, filled with desolation and indignation.
...
As the saying goes, good news seldom goes beyond the gate, while bad news spreads far and wide.
Before long, the news of Bai Daqing's arrest had spread...
"Hey, have you heard? Prince Consort Bai Daqing has been arrested?"
"What? Prince Consort has been arrested? Who dares to arrest him? Could it be the Emperor himself?"
"Exactly, it was the Emperor himself."
"Why though? The Emperor has always trusted Prince Consort, hasn't he?"
"I heard Prince Consort sent soone to assassinate the Prince Consort."
"Really? Is that true?"
"It must be, otherwise the Emperor wouldn't have ordered the arrest of Prince Consort."
"That's unbelievably bold... The Prince Consort dared to orchestrate an assassination attempt on the Prince Consort, that's so audacity."
"Barring any surprises, Prince Consort is in big trouble this ti... He might even lose his life."
...
The common people whispered among themselves.
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