Chapter 338: Make Bold Assumptions and Verify Them Carefully
Ning Chen's pupils shrank.
He immediately stepped forward to sniff Ning Ziming's breath, and his face darkened...dead!
Ning Chen looked at the roast duck leg that fell on the ground.
After thinking for a while, he quickly moved Ning Ziming's body to the corner and asked him to sit facing the corner.
Immediately, he picked up the food box, left the prison, and locked the door.
The jailer saw Ning Chen coming out and hurriedly trotted over from not far away.
Ning Chen said lightly: "From now on, without my order, no one is allowed to visit Ning Ziming or approach his cell."
The jailer hurriedly said: "Yes!"
Ning Chen came out of the prison and went straight to Geng Jing's room.
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were both there.
Geng Jing asked, "Have you seen Lord Ning?"
Ning Chen said nothing, closed the door, put the food box on the table, and said in a deep voice, "Something happened!"
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng looked at each other and asked in unison, "What happened?"
Ning Chen's face was gloomy, "Ning Ziming is dead."
Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were shocked.
Ning Chen opened the food box and pointed at the roast duck inside, "I was tricked... This roast duck was poisoned."
The two came over and looked at the food box.
"Is this the roast duck from Tianfulou?"
Ning Chen nodded.
Pan Yucheng hurriedly said, "What are you waiting for? Let's go to Tianfulou quickly?"
Ning Chen shook his head, "It's not very useful to go to Tianfulou now. The murderer won't be stupid enough to wait for me to catch him... So there's no rush at this moment."
Pan Yucheng frowned, "What's the point of poisoning Lord Ning at this time?"
Ning Chen sneered, "Of course it's for me."
"The Marquis of Daxuan, poisoned his own father, is so crazy. If this bad reputation is confirmed... How can a person with bad behavior like me be qualified to become a royal consort?"
"Moreover, once this bad reputation spreads, I killed the uncle with a knife and pleaded for the people, and all these good reputations will collapse."
Geng Jing frowned, "Don't worry, we will prove it for you."
Pan Yucheng nodded.
They believed in Ning Chen unconditionally.
The imperial decree has been issued, Ning Ziming will be beheaded in three days. Ning Chen poisoned Ning Ziming at this time unless he is crazy.
Geng Jing continued, "I have a way. Block the news, put a hood on Lord Ning, and behead him in three days...completely cover up the news that he was poisoned."
Pan Yucheng followed up, "I also have a way. We can fake it to make it look like Lord Ning committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"Lord Ning was a civil servant. He couldn't bear the news that he would be beheaded in three days. He committed suicide out of fear of punishment and wanted to keep his body intact. This reason is reasonable."
Ning Chen shook his head, "Absolutely can't do this."
The two looked at him puzzled.
Ning Chen said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid the other party would like us to do this... When beheading, we need to verify the identity. The scene is full of people. Once it is exposed... it will be a crime of deceiving the emperor."
"At that time, Lord Geng will be the first to be held accountable."
Pan Yucheng said: "We can bribe the supervising officials and executioners."
Ning Chen shook his head, "The other party can do it too!"
Pan Yucheng frowned, "What about pretending to commit suicide out of fear of crime?"
Ning Chen sighed, "Where did the suicide poison come from? Last time the left prime minister escaped from prison, His Majesty was already very dissatisfied with the Supervisory Office."
"Now, a second-rank official of the court has committed suicide by taking poison in the Supervisory Office prison. His Majesty It's not dissatisfaction, but it's time to doubt the ability of the Supervisory Department. "
"The Supervisory Department is a thorn in the eyes of all civil and military officials... They will definitely not miss this opportunity to impeach the Supervisory Department."
Geng Jing nodded slightly, "Ning Chen is right... The Supervisory Department has offended too many dignitaries. If they lose the trust of His Majesty and the protection of the imperial power, I'm afraid that they will all end up badly in the end."
Geng Jing's brows were wrinkled, "What should we do?"
Ning Chen thought for a while and said, "We will split into two groups. Lao Pan and I will go to Tianfulou."
"Sir Geng, you go to the palace to meet the emperor and impeach me!"
Geng Jing was shocked!
Ning Chen smiled and said, "Remember one thing, I went to see Ning Ziming privately, and you didn't know anything about it!"
"Don't think about taking responsibility for me, just report it truthfully... You must never let His Majesty doubt the ability of the Supervisory Department."
"His Majesty is very observant, and he will at most reprimand me a few words after knowing it... If he doubts the ability of the Supervisory Department, that would be really troublesome."
Geng Jing nodded, "Okay, let's go to the palace now!"
The three came out of the room.
Geng Jing went to the palace to meet the emperor.
Ning Chen looked at Pan Yucheng, "Old Pan, the Supervisory Department should have the information of the Shangshu Ling, right?"
Pan Yucheng looked at him in confusion, "What do you want the Shangshu Ling's information for?"
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes and said, "Immediately execute Ning Ziming. This suggestion was made by the Shangshu Ling."
Pan Yucheng was shocked, "Do you suspect that the mastermind is the Shangshu Ling?"
Ning Chen shrugged, "Make a bold assumption and verify it carefully."
"Old Pan, I'll go to the Sixth Office first... Help me get the Shangshu Ling's information. I'll check it on the way and we'll meet at the door later."
"By the way, call Old Feng and the others."
Pan Yucheng hummed and turned away.
Ning Chen came to the Sixth Office with a food box and met Meng Jianbai, the golden-clothed man in the Sixth Office.
"Greetings, Lord Marquis!"
Ning Chen smiled and said, "Old Meng, let's not be so polite... Help me check and see what kind of poison is in the food in this box? I'll come to you later."
Meng Jianbai nodded.
Ning Chen came out of the Sixth Office and came to the gate of the Supervisory Department... Pan Yucheng and others were already waiting.
"Here, this is what you want."
Ning Chen took the information, jumped on the horse, and said, "Let's go!"
"Ning Chen, what happened?"
Ning Chen flipped through the information in his hand and said casually: "Nothing, please go to Tianfulou for dinner."
"What's the point of going to Tianfulou? Let's go to the Jiaofang Department?"
Ning Chen glared at him.
......
Everyone came to Tianfulou.
"I meet several adults... Ning Yinyi, you are here again?"
The shopkeeper of Tianfulou came to greet him.
He remembered that Ning Chen came here at noon today.
Ning Chen smiled and said: "The roast duck is good today. Bring a few of my colleagues to try it... Arrange a private room for us."
Ning Chen observed the shopkeeper's reaction calmly.
Every time he came, he was received by the shopkeeper.
Today was the same. The food box was handed to him by the shopkeeper himself.
"Okay... Gentlemen, please go upstairs!"
The shopkeeper led the way attentively.
Ning Chen retracted his gaze. It was unlikely that the shopkeeper had poisoned the food.
Tianfulou was a time-honored brand with a booming business. The shopkeeper had made a lot of money, so there was no need to risk poisoning the food.
After entering the private room, everyone sat down.
The shopkeeper made water and tea attentively.
Ning Chen said indifferently, "Shopkeeper, the roast duck I packed for lunch today was missing a duck leg."
The shopkeeper was stunned, "This, this..."
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at him, "Did you personally bring the food box from the kitchen to me today?"
The shopkeeper thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "No, I asked Zhang Kui to arrange it... It must have been this kid who did it. He has always been dirty. If I hadn't seen that he had worked in the store for several years and was quite efficient, I would have let him go long ago."