Chapter 329: The Emperor Would Spare Him? Here Comes the Evidence
Zhao Mingyan said, "So, Prime Minister Su, you believe you are without fault? I wonder if the members of your household would all agree."
He said with perfect composure, "I wonder if you’ll still be able to speak with such conviction once you’re in the Imperial City Department."
Su Fengyue’s eyes involuntarily shifted to the steward beside him.
’His communications with Xijin had always been through intermediaries; he had never been foolish enough to show his own face. But can my confidant withstand the Imperial City Department’s interrogation...?’
Su Fengyue’s intermediary was, in fact, Shang Rong.
Shang Rong gave him a nod.
’Shang Rong had always been meticulous when handling the Xijin affair. He used servants who had been born into the household and served for many years—all trustworthy people. More importantly, he held leverage over each of them. Even under extreme torture, they wouldn’t give anything away.’
Taking all of this in, the light in Zhao Mingyan’s eyes dimmed.
Eager to protect his master, Shang Rong spoke up directly. "My master has never committed treason! Everyone in the manor knows of his unwavering loyalty."
Zhao Mingyan said, "The Fourth Prince of Xijin, in his old residence in the capital’s suburbs, ought to be praising the Prime Minister of Beili for his ’unwavering loyalty.’"
He bit out the last two words with extreme emphasis.
Su Fengyue’s body gave a violent shudder. A look of utter defeat washed over his face, and he could no longer stand, forcing a tense Shang Rong to catch him.
’Emperor Wu Su even knows Yu Wen Tianqing’s location. He’s probably already sent his men to capture him.’
Shang Rong said, "My master has worked himself to the bone for Beili for so many years! His body is wracked with pain. Even if he has no great achievements, he has his years of toil! Without evidence of a crime, this is nothing but baseless slander!"
Before Emperor Wu Su could speak, Prince Yong broke free from the men holding him back.
"What damn dog is barking now?! You worthless cur, you really don’t know your place! Take a good look at who you’re standing before and shut your mouth! This is no place for you to interrupt!"
In the past, no one in the imperial court would have dared to shout and clamor in Emperor Wu Su’s presence.
Zhao Minghong suppressed the urge to beat the master and servant to death.
’But in Emperor Wu Su’s presence, he forced himself to be rational. Rather than a moment of reckless courage, it would be better to think of how to make them wish for a death that would never come, to make Su Fengyue suffer a thousand times more.’
After Prince Yong’s rebuke, Shang Rong’s aggressive demeanor faltered, but his face still held a look of defiance.
’Su Fengyue saw the situation more clearly than his servant. All last-ditch resistance was futile. However, as long as he staunchly denied colluding with the enemy and committing treason, they wouldn’t dare convict him of such a grave crime without concrete evidence.’
’Someone among the court officials would surely submit a petition for him. He refused to believe that Emperor Wu Su would ignore the pleas of so many.’
Su Fengyue lowered his head. "It was my failure to properly manage my servant."
Zhao Mingyan said, "Your loyal servant was right about one thing. For so many years, Prime Minister Su has not only his achievements, but also his toil. I should be grateful for that."
A subtle change came over Su Fengyue’s expression. ’Is the Emperor willing to let me go?’
Zhao Mingyan shot him a glance and said, "Why don’t I reward the meritorious and hardworking Prime Minister Su with a trip to the Imperial Prison? Let him experience a true purgatory, a taste of true suffering."
Su Fengyue’s feigned composure finally shattered. He stared at the Emperor. "You need evidence of a crime to send someone to the Imperial Prison! I am a First Rank official. You must follow the law to maintain public trust."
Emperor Wu Su’s lips curled into a smile devoid of any warmth.
Zhao Minghong’s breathing grew heavy. ’Prime Minister Su has a point. Acting rashly without evidence could cost them the support of the people.’
He furtively glanced at Emperor Wu Su’s expression, then turned away, relieved.
’My Imperial Brother would never let Su Fengyue off so easily.’
’I used to defy my elder brother, too, but he beat the defiance right out of me.’
’Emperor Wu Su had always been domineering, and even more so since ascending the throne. He was never one for patience or reason.’
’The grass on the graves of those who dared to challenge him was already ten feet tall.’
Having served the Emperor for many years, Su Fengyue was all too familiar with that expression.
’It meant the Emperor had already made his decision. Whomever he smiled at like that was about to suffer a great calamity.’
Su Fengyue’s mind was in utter turmoil. He lost all composure and cried out, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge! Under the might of imperial power, I have no choice, but even if I endure all the tortures of the Ministry of Justice, I will not confess!"
Zhao Mingyan’s smile grew warmer, yet it sent a chill through Su Fengyue’s very soul. His gray, blood-stained eyebrows began to twitch.
"Confess to what?"
Just as the atmosphere in the room grew taut, a clear, melodious female voice drifted in.
When Su Fengyue saw his handmaiden, Hanzhang, appear, his face was a mask of shock, but he quickly recovered.
He immediately declared, "You’re not Hanzhang!"
Ji Qingwu was just as shocked. ’Who beat Su Fengyue up like this? His right eye is swollen shut, and he has a huge lump above his eyebrow.’
She turned her head and saw that Prince Yong’s clothes were also in disarray. His golden crown was askew, and there was even a dusty footprint on his shoulder.
Ji Qingwu guessed what had happened. ’Prince Yong must have found out about Princess Yong’s past and, in a fit of rage, tried to kill that old codger Su Fengyue.’
’Before I arrived, the two sides must have been in a standoff.’
Without a second thought, Ji Qingwu headed straight for Emperor Wu Su. ’It’s definitely safer to be near him.’
But as she drew near, she felt that his aura was off. A coldness seemed to emanate from the very strands of his hair.
Ji Qingwu quickly stopped in her tracks and even took a step back. ’It’s better if I stay closer to the door.’
Su Fengyue’s gaze fell on the items in her hands, and his eyelid twitched visibly.
"You’re not Hanzhang. Who in the world are you?"
Ji Qingwu’s lips curled into a smile. "That’s right, I’m not Hanzhang. I’m the one who’s come to help Prime Minister Su die content and get what he deserves."
’I don’t plan on revealing my identity in front of everyone. After all, I’m officially the new madam of the Wei Family. It wouldn’t be good to be openly involved in this.’
’Using the Disguise Technique makes things much easier.’
Zhao Mingyan first sized her up from head to toe. Only after confirming she was completely unharmed did his gaze shift to the hard-to-ignore items in her hands.
In truth, Ji Qingwu’s entrance wasn’t exactly graceful.
She had a scroll tucked under one arm and was hugging a stack of letters with both hands, on top of which were precariously piled five seals.
On the way here, Sanchuan and Si Hai had been helping her carry everything. But once they reached the door, the two of them unceremoniously dumped the items into her arms and, in a flash, vanished back into the shadows of the trees.
Ji Qingwu crouched down and spread the pile of items on the floor as if she were setting up a market stall.
She looked up and asked, "Prime Minister, what was that you were saying about missing evidence?"
Ji Qingwu sorted the thick pile of letters into several stacks. "Are you talking about the evidence for the crime of you violating countless innocent young women, a testament to your depraved character?"
Hearing this, Prince Yong’s face turned ashen once more. He stared at her intently, both wanting to hear more and dreading what she might say.
Ji Qingwu said with a note of regret, "For that, I’m afraid there is indeed insufficient evidence for now."
’I’ve gone through these letters carefully. Su Fengyue isn’t so twisted as to keep a written record of what he did to those women.’
’The trinkets alone aren’t enough to prove anything.’
"How can there not be enough evidence!" Zhao Minghong hissed, grinding his teeth.