"Hmm," Mu Qingyao tilted her head slightly, a hint of coldness in her eyes. She spoke with displeasure, "What business does the Prince of Nan'an have sending someone here?"
"The person is waiting outside the palace gate, Your Highness. They seem quite anxious. Please return quickly, Your Highness."
"Oh," Mu Qingyao stretched her body, handed what she was holding to a nearby palace maid, and turned to look at Murong Xingzhu, "I have something to attend to. I'll water them later. You all water them first, okay?"
"Okay!" Murong Xingzhu nodded happily. She was enjoying the watering. She hadn't expected there to be little tricks to watering flowers. As a princess, she had never done such a thing before, and found it rather novel.
Mu Qingyao tidied a few strands of her beautiful hair that had fallen to her temples and walked unhurriedly towards the palace gate. Along the way, she admired the flowers and grass by her side, her heart filled with joy.
Beneath the stone steps outside the main hall gate stood a man in a fitted uniform. His face was indistinguishable, but his anxiety was evident. He paced back and forth before the palace gate, constantly rubbing his hands. Upon hearing footsteps, he abruptly looked up. Seeing the radiant and resplendent Empress, he hastily bowed respectfully.
"Geng Han pays his respects to Her Highness the Empress."
Mu Qingyao glanced up and recognized Geng Han, a capable subordinate of the Prince of Nan'an. His handsome and upright face was filled with distress.
"Rise. What has happened?"
Mu Qingyao swept him a cold glance, waving her hand to signal him to rise. She wondered why the Prince of Nan'an was looking for her; he should be looking for the Emperor.
Geng Han, upon hearing Mu Qingyao's question, did not rise. Instead, he remained kneeling, reporting without moving.
"Your Highness the Empress, regarding the case of Yuejue Temple, His Majesty assigned General Ximen to investigate. General Ximen, having obtained some information from an unknown source, discovered that Master Liaokong's real name is Su Zhan. He has now apprehended all one hundred and eight members of the Su family and brought them to the training grounds, forcing Liaokong to reveal the mastermind behind the incident. Liaokong refuses to comply, so he is killing the Su family members one by one with extremely brutal and bloodthirsty methods. The Prince of Nan'an cannot condone this matter and has sent me to inform Your Highness. He hopes Your Highness will show mercy and save those people of the Su surname."
Geng Han had always been a cold and ruthless person, but today he was shocked by the scene at the training grounds. The horrifying sight of Master Liaokong blinding himself was deeply unsettling.
As Geng Han finished speaking, Mu Qingyao's expression turned icy, a thin layer of frost covering it. Something had indeed happened.
The reason she hadn't revealed Liaokong as Su Zhan was precisely because she feared the Emperor would harm innocent people. Su Zhan had become a monk over twenty years ago and had severed all ties with his family.
Now, because of him, a hundred and eight lives of the Su family were being endangered. This was truly an injustice.
Mu Qingyao's heart grew cold. She clenched her delicate fist and turned around, preparing to go to Liuli Palace to find the Emperor.
Geng Han stepped forward and blocked her path.
"Your Highness, it is too late to find the Emperor. His Majesty has given General Ximen full authority over this matter, intending to use bloodthirsty tactics to force Su Zhan to reveal the mastermind. However, Su Zhan is willing to confess to all crimes rather than reveal the person behind it. Now, Your Highness must go to the training grounds and stop General Su's execution to save those people."
Mu Qingyao's face was cold and stern. She stopped in her tracks, her ice-like eyes seeming to gleam with dark, surging waves that ebbed and flowed.
Beside her stood her two subordinates, Mochou and Moyou. Since the Emperor had already handed this matter over to General Ximen, there was likely no room for negotiation. If Her Highness went to the training grounds, she would inevitably anger the Emperor, and not only would she be unable to save those people, but she would also implicate herself.
"Your Highness, absolutely not."
"Your Highness, please think of the innocent people. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. Every minute of delay will likely result in more deaths among the Su family."
Geng Han spoke in a deep voice. Mu Qingyao exuded a chilling aura, her pretty face covered with the harshness of winter. Her dark eyes flickered, and she issued a stern command, "Geng Han, lead the way."
"Your Highness."
Mochou and Moyou cried out.
If Her Highness went, she might anger the Emperor. However, Mu Qingyao's decisions were never changed. She spoke in a low voice, "This is a decision I have made."
The frigid aura seemed to emanate from hell, devoid of any warmth. Mochou and Moyou dared not say anything further and could only respectfully reply in a deep voice, "Your subordinate will accompany Your Highness to the training grounds."
"Good, let's go," Mu Qingyao commanded. Geng Han led the way. They didn't go through the palace gates, as that would be too circuitous. Instead, they took a shortcut, crossing through small paths, and soon reached the tall palace walls. As several of them were skilled in martial arts, the towering palace walls were no obstacle.
Outside the palace walls, there was a horse. Mu Qingyao mounted it and flicked the reins. The horse, in pain, galloped away. The gentle breeze lifted her long skirt, her flowing hair like a light veil, as elegant as a beautiful landscape.
Mochou, Moyou, and Geng Han followed a step behind. With a few leaps, each of them grabbed a horse and gave chase to the figure ahead, but they were still a step behind.
Mu Qingyao, guided by her memory, galloped straight towards the training grounds. Along the way, she knocked over many things. By the time people recovered, they only saw a graceful figure speeding past, with no trace of anyone. When they were picking things up, three more horses rushed forward, knocking over their belongings again, and all sorts of fresh fruits were trampled in an instant...
The training grounds were abuzz with noise, filled with cries and wails. The surrounding citizens began to cry out in indignation.
Even if the old monk had broken the law, General Ximen's methods of killing were too brutal. He did not spare the old, the weak, the young, or the small. Moreover, the old monk had been tortured beyond recognition. If he had indeed committed a crime, killing him would suffice; why resort to such cruel torture? Hadn't he confessed to everything?
The crowd became agitated and pushed forward.
Ximen Zhenghao, seated at the head, had a cold and sinister expression as he stared at Su Zhan. He hadn't expected that after all his efforts, this old monk would refuse to confess. He refused to believe that he, a general who had fought on the battlefield and killed countless people, could not deal with an old monk.
"Su Zhan, you still refuse to confess? Very well. If you continue to refuse, your entire Su family will be wiped out."
Ximen Zhenghao's bloodthirsty voice echoed. A burst of heart-wrenching cries from children erupted. The old monk, Su Zhan, couldn't see, but he heard it in his heart. Tears of blood welled up again in his hollow eyes. In truth, he knew that even if he revealed the mastermind, the Su family would not escape this ordeal.
Since that was the case, why bother? He could only blame his momentary lapse in judgment in the past. He would beg forgiveness from his ancestors in the netherworld.
"Zhan."
Ximen Zhenghao called out mercilessly as he saw Su Zhan remain unmoved. On the training grounds, the crowd let out fierce shouts. This was a child, and the situation was on the verge of erupting. The crowd continuously pushed forward, and the soldiers were struggling to maintain control.