Cold Fengluan was on her last breath, her breathing shallow. Those in the brothel were terrified.
Who was Cold Fengluan? She was the one who ruled the brothel with an iron fist, and now she could only await death there.
Seeing that the time was almost right, Xue Zining looked at everyone and said indifferently, "I am not here to punish today, only to find someone."
Xue Zining pointed at one of them and said, "You, come forward."
The one pointed at was a man, the most trembling among the group. He stepped forward and immediately knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, forgive me, I know nothing."
"I haven't asked yet?" Xue Zining said coldly.
The man trembled like a sieve. Xue Zining said coldly, "Did a woman enter here before? Her name is An Ling, the second young lady of the Imperial Guard Department."
The man quickly shook his head, trembling, "I... I don't know..."
Xue Zining frowned and looked at the man, who was trembling so much he could no longer speak.
"You may go!"
The man crawled out.
The remaining people were carefully questioned, but none of them knew who An Ling was.
Xue Zining looked at Cold Fengluan and said coldly, "Cold Fengluan, you can live if you tell me where Miss An the second is."
Cold Fengluan looked at her, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She mustered her strength and said word by word, "You... you will forever..."
"Then go to hell!" Xue Zining thrust her sword into Cold Fengluan's body. This time, she showed no mercy.
Cold Fengluan looked at her in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe Xue Zining would actually kill her.
"You..."
Xue Zining looked at her coldly, her voice as frigid as frost, "Since you refuse to tell me, you are of no use to me. I don't believe I can't find Miss An the second."
Cold Fengluan's head drooped.
Feng Jiu stepped forward to check her pulse and then shook his head, "Your Majesty, she is gone."
Xue Zining sighed and said, "Give the order to search for her with all our might."
Feng Jiu nodded, "Your subordinate will do so immediately."
At this time, the brothel was at its peak of receiving officials and nobles.
The sudden search of the rooms terrified many.
Some officials and nobles expressed their displeasure.
Some even became enraged.
"You dare to enter the room without my permission? Are you tired of living?" a man who had just undressed angrily said.
"My lord, I apologize. I am acting under orders to search."
"Where is Cold Fengluan? Call her over for me. I must question her thoroughly. Does the brothel wish to close down?" The man was so angry he began to roar.
Xue Zining, who was outside the door, heard this voice and walked in. The guards saw her and were about to salute when she stopped them. She looked up at the man and sneered, "Lord Ren, it seems you are also here enjoying yourself?"
Ren Tang sneered, "Cold Fengluan, do you want to quit? If you don't want to say it, you come here searching. Believe me, tomorrow I will have you sent to the Imperial Guard's prison."
Xue Zining took a few steps forward and said coldly, "Is that so? I do want to go to the Imperial Guard to sit for a while."
Ren Tang froze, rubbed his eyes, and looked carefully again. He was so scared he almost wet himself. This... this was not Cold Fengluan at all.
This was clearly the Empress!
His legs went weak, and he immediately knelt on the ground, prostrating himself, "Your... Your Majesty..."
"Lord Fengchang Ren, I truly did not expect you to be so arrogant outside. I have underestimated you."
Ren Tang was covered in sweat, "Your... Your Majesty, forgive me, this subject..."
"I am not here to punish today. Search," Xue Zining said to the guards.
The guards quickly searched the room and then returned to Xue Zining to report, "Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual."
Xue Zining turned to leave. As she reached the door, she suddenly turned back and said, "I finally understand why Lord Ren vehemently opposed when I wanted to abolish the brothel back then. It turns out I wasn't abolishing the brothel, but your place of pleasure, Lord Ren. I have learned."
Ren Tang collapsed there, with only one thought in his mind: it was over. His position as Fengchang was finished.
"You continue searching. I will go further inside."
Xue Zining finished speaking and walked further in.
Before she had taken a few steps, she heard a woman's frightened voice from inside, "You... you don't come here. If you come any closer, I... I will kill you."
"Oh, my treasure, how many times have you rejected me? This time, I will not let you escape from me..."
"If you dare to come closer, I will die for you," the woman said despairingly.
"Is that so? Even if you die, I will not let you go..."
Xue Zining leaned closer and saw through a crack in the door as the woman desperately plunged a hairpin towards her neck. Just as it was about to pierce her skin, she quickly pulled a bead from her clothes and flicked it.
The golden hairpin fell from the woman's hand, and the man lunged forward.
The woman cried out in despair. Just then, the door was kicked open.
The man felt himself being lifted up. Before he could react, he was thrown outside.
"Who are you? How dare you throw this lord around..." the man yelled as he got up.
The door was suddenly closed, making the man bump his nose. The man pounded on the door and angrily shouted, "I'm telling you to open the door quickly, otherwise..."
Xue Zining ignored whoever was outside. She looked at the woman in front of her and thought, "Aren't you... Xiu'er?"
The woman trembled all over, "You... how do you know my name?"
Xue Zining looked at the woman again. She was sure that the person in front of her was Xiu'er, the head maid in Li Chenxuan's mansion, who had disappeared later. She had not expected her to end up in the brothel.
It was clearly Jiang Xinqin's doing.
She offered a handkerchief and said softly, "Wipe your face."
Xiu'er bit her lower lip but did not take the handkerchief, asking cautiously, "Who... are you?"
Xue Zining squatted down and looked at Xiu'er, saying slowly, "You must have seen me when you served Jiang Xinqin."
Xiu'er trembled all over. She remembered these eyes. Suddenly, her whole body convulsed, "You... you are..."
"You have suffered," Xue Zining stepped forward and embraced Xiu'er's trembling body.
At this moment, Xiu'er let go of all her defenses and burst into tears.
Xue Zining lowered her gaze, gently patting Xiu'er's back, "It's all over. You are safe now. Don't be afraid."
After a long while, Xiu'er suddenly broke free, got off the bed, and knelt on the ground, "Your servant greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."
Xue Zining stepped forward and helped Xiu'er up, saying, "Don't be afraid. With me here, no one will dare to bully you."
Xiu'er, with tears in her eyes, gritted her teeth and nodded, "Xiu'er is not afraid."
Xue Zining pulled Xiu'er to the door. Xiu'er couldn't help but tremble slightly. She gently patted Xiu'er's hand to comfort her.
Xiu'er nodded.
Xue Zining turned her head and, hearing the man still cursing outside, kicked him.