In the prison, only General Kong's heavy voice, like a cold, bottomless abyss, conveyed a sense of utter despair, allowing Mu Qingyao to feel his state of mind at that moment and place.
He was once a clear-minded man, capable of great deeds, yet he had committed this grave error today. Was it all karma?
By the time he finished speaking, his face was covered in tears. An old man, now in such profound pain, his past as fleeting as a dream.
Mu Qingyao stood up and bowed. He would say what he ought to say, and what he shouldn't, even if she stayed longer, she doubted he would utter a word.
The one behind the scenes was undoubtedly the Prince of Beijin. Even if they knew this in their hearts, they could not point fingers at him. And he, Su Zhan, even if killed a thousand, ten thousand times, would not betray the Prince of Beijin.
"I apologize for disturbing you, Master."
Mu Qingyao bowed and turned to leave the cell.
The master, who had been calm all along, suddenly rushed to the bars with a thud, gripping them with both hands, whispering in despair:
"Benefactor, if it is possible, please spare the Su family. This old monk will pray for you before the Buddha. Buddha has compassion for all living beings, and you will be rewarded."
Mu Qingyao looked back, her eyes slightly moist. What could she promise him? What could she do to help him?
Without a word, she turned and led Mo You and Mo Chou away. The desperate pleas of the innocent young monks echoed in her ears along the way. These voices would be heard by him, and how much would he have to bear?
Outside the prison gate, the Minister of Justice and the Prince of Beijin breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the Empress emerge.
"Your Majesty."
Mu Qingyao raised her head, her heart heavy, her sorrowful gaze piercing through the Minister of Justice and falling directly upon the Prince of Beijin, Mu Rong Liu Zun.
Was this man a demon? Did he know how many innocent people his actions had implicated? Even if he obtained the throne through manipulation, was he fit to be a ruler, an emperor?
If the world knew, how could he face them? Could someone who couldn't even be open and honest be a proper sovereign?
Prince Beijin, Mu Rong Liu Zun, felt a great shock upon receiving the Empress's chilling, murderous glare.
Did that monk Xiao Kong incriminate him? It seemed impossible. If he had, would this woman still be so composed? She would have had him arrested long ago. This woman must have suspected him, which was why she had come to see Xiao Kong.
"Return to the palace."
Mu Qingyao spoke coldly, ignoring the crowd at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice's prison. Her expression was unreadable, and it seemed she needed to uncover the Prince of Beijin's schemes quickly.
First, why was his martial arts cultivation so hidden? Second, where did those death warriors go? Third, what was his next course of action? With what had happened now, he would not sit idly by; he would act as soon as possible.
"We escort Your Majesty," the Minister of Justice and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, escorting the Empress to her waiting carriage.
After the carriage had driven away, the Minister of Justice wiped the sweat from his brow and asked the Prince of Nan, who was beside him, "Did the Empress find out anything in the prison?"
The Prince of Nan glanced at the Minister of Justice, then subtly at the Prince of Beijin, whose expression was somewhat uneasy. He said nothing, leading his subordinates away with an inscrutable air, leaving the Minister of Justice and Prince Beijin, Mu Rong Liu Zun, to exchange bewildered glances.
The carriage drove back to the imperial palace.
Inside the carriage, Mu Qingyao closed her eyes, resting. She had not reported the matter of Master Xiao Kong being Su Zhan to the Emperor.
If the Emperor learned that Master Xiao Kong was Su Zhan, the Empress Dowager's former lover, the Su family would likely not escape this ordeal.
The Emperor would surely target the Su family. In reality, the Su family had no knowledge of Su Zhan's actions.
Ancient punishments were different from modern ones; extermination of the nine clans was a common occurrence. If so many people were executed because of Su Zhan, how could she live with herself? Mu Qingyao suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Mo Chou.
"Mo Chou, immediately do something for me."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Mo Chou accepted the order. Mu Qingyao leaned in and whispered a few words to her, finally reminding her, "Tell them to leave Lin'an City immediately, as far as possible. Also, be careful of people lurking in the shadows; someone might be watching our movements."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Mo Chou responded smartly. When the carriage slowed slightly, she quietly leaped out, not stopping deliberately, to avoid attracting attention.
With Mo Chou gone, Mu Qingyao closed her eyes to rest for a while. Now, she could use Su Zhan's situation to force the Empress Dowager to reveal what she did to cause the death of Empress Li back then. She believed that woman would confess. A hint of bloodlust touched her lips, and her face was filled with a murderous aura.
The carriage slowly made its way to the palace, not accelerating, as they were waiting for Mo Chou to return.
Before entering the palace, Mo Chou finally returned, but the news she brought was not encouraging. Her face was grim as she said, "Your Majesty, those people don't believe me and refuse to leave. They even say I want to seize their property and land. Listen, how ridiculous. On the verge of death, they still care about their possessions."
Mu Qingyao sighed deeply, looking at the city walls outside the carriage. It seemed they could only leave it to fate.
"Let them be. Perhaps the Emperor won't investigate those people. That's all we can hope for now."
"Let's hope so," Mo Chou replied. The carriage sped into the palace, heading straight for the Phoenix Palace.
At the Phoenix Palace, the eunuchs and palace maids finally breathed a sigh of relief when Mu Qingyao returned. Whenever their mistress went out, they were all on edge, fearing something might happen. Fortunately, nothing did this time.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Mei Xin saw her mistress arranging pieces on the Go board since her return, maintaining that posture for a long time without eating, solely focused on fiddling with those things. Not knowing what she was thinking, Mei Xin finally couldn't help but walk over and ask.
Mo Chou quickly reached out and pulled her aside, shushing her, signaling her not to disturb her mistress. She was planning something, and once she figured it out, she would eat.
"What exactly happened?"
Mei Xin muttered softly. Mo Chou shrugged. This was not within her purview, and she wouldn't say anything.
Mu Qingyao kept arranging and rearranging the Go pieces on the board. Finally, she seemed to have figured it out, stretched her body, and looked up.
The hall was extremely quiet. Mei Xin was leaning against a pillar, dozing off, while Mo Chou sat casually to the side. It seemed she had been thinking for too long and was quite hungry.
"Mei Xin, Mei Xin."
As Mu Qingyao spoke, Mei Xin immediately woke up and rushed over, complaining, "Your Majesty, what were you thinking about? We servants didn't even dare to speak, and I almost fell asleep."
"I'm hungry," Mu Qingyao mumbled. Mei Xin immediately rushed out to call for food to be served. The Empress wanted to dine. Mu Qingyao looked at her retreating back and smiled, "This girl."