Сhарtеr 8: Рerhaps Тhis Is thе Powеr of Blооd Тiеs
Тhе prеfесt siрped his tеa leisurely, аs if hе hadn’t hеаrd а thing.
Аs lоng as it didn’t invоlvе his оfficial роsition, hе couldn’t cаre lеss.
Let the cоmmonеrs die аs thеy plеased.
Lu Yuan rubbеd thе lаrgе jade thumb ring оn his hаnd, rаising аn eyеbrow аs he loоked at Lоu Changqing.
“Yоu’re not cоnvinсеd? So whаt?”
“Yоur father is merеly а viсe minister оf the Ministrу of Rеvеnuе, a lоwly fourth-rаnk officiаl. Му father is the Marquis Zhenbei, a рrоper secоnd-rаnk! And he’s alsо thе Emperor’s personally appointed General Who Guards the Nation!”
“As for your sister, Consort Chen, she only has a little princess in the rear palace. My sister has a little prince. What do you have to compare with me?”
After speaking, Lu Yuan curled his lips into a smug, provocative smile.
Lou Changqing stared at him intently, his voice icy.
“We are both captains. My captaincy was earned blade by blade, sword by sword, fighting through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.”
“But you, the first time you went to the battlefield, you were so scared you couldn’t even hold your sword steady. Your captaincy was given to you by your father, the Marquis Zhenbei.”
Lou Changqing’s eyes filled with disdain as he spoke word by word.
“Without your father, you are nothing!”
Lu Yuan seemed to have been struck where it hurt. Veins bulged on his neck as he raised his hand, ready to strike.
Lou Changqing met his gaze fearlessly, his back straight.
Just as the slap was about to land on Lou Changqing’s face, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from outside.
“The Emperor has arrived—”
The Emperor is here?!
Why would the Emperor come to the Capital Prefecture?
But there was no time to think. The prefect was so frightened he tumbled from his chair and scurried to the main hall, kneeling on the ground.
Lu Yuan was also terrified, sweat beading on his forehead as he quickly knelt and prostrated himself.
Amidst the rapidly beating hearts of the crowd, a figure in bright yellow slowly appeared in everyone’s line of sight.
“Rise.”
Everyone looked up and was surprised to find that the Emperor had not come alone.
In his arms, he was actually holding a little girl as delicate as carved jade!
This is… the Fifth Princess?!
The Emperor actually brought the Fifth Princess to the Capital Prefecture!
Shangguan Sui blinked her beautiful big eyes and immediately spotted Lou Changqing kneeling in the center.
[Little Uncle, don’t be afraid, we’re here to save you!]
[Father and I both know you’ve been wronged!]
[Hoo-hoo~ Little Uncle is so handsome, truly worthy of being part of our family~]
Upon hearing the voice, Lou Changqing’s back stiffened instantly.
What kind of strange sound was that?
That voice… called him Little Uncle…
Could it be…
Lou Changqing raised his eyes and met Shangguan Sui’s direct gaze.
Shangguan Sui curved her lips at him, revealing two adorable dimples.
Seeing Shangguan Sui’s sweet smile, Lou Changqing couldn’t help but curl his lips as well.
He had only seen this little niece of his once since she was born.
But whenever they met, he felt an extraordinary closeness.
Perhaps this is the power of blood ties.
So what he had just heard must have been Suisui’s inner thoughts.
His gaze shifted to the Emperor’s face, but he found no unusual expression there.
Lou Changqing’s brow twitched slightly.
It seemed that only he could hear it.
“Continue with the trial. I’m just here to listen casually. Pay me no mind.”
Shangguan Lin’s voice was gentle and steady, revealing no trace of anger.
Hearing this, the prefect immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the Emperor was on Marquis Zhenbei’s side.
Indeed, it was common knowledge that the Emperor favored Marquis Zhenbei.
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but curl his lips smugly.Although Father was punished by the Emperor with a year’s salary deduction, it seems now that the Emperor still trusts Father greatly.
Shangguan Lin held Shangguan Sui and sat down on the prepared chair to the side, his expression relaxed and calm.
It truly seemed as if he had only come to casually observe the proceedings.
Only then did the prefect feel at ease, wiping the cold sweat that had seeped from his forehead, and continued to announce the details of the case.
“Yesterday during the hour of Xu, a murder occurred in a private room at the Chaling Restaurant. The deceased was a scholar named Xing Shao, and the suspect, Lou Changqing, was apprehended on the spot. The restaurant waiter Meng Tian and Captain Lu Yuan both served as witnesses.”
After finishing his statement, the prefect bowed respectfully to Shangguan Lin, his tone humble.
“Your Majesty, this is the full account of the case. There are no remaining points of doubt.”
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Sui angrily wrinkled her little nose and began to rant furiously in her mind.
[No points of doubt?! There are more doubts in this case than there are hairs on your head!]
[Xing Shao was my little uncle’s friend. Why would my little uncle want to kill him? Has the motive for the murder even been established?]
[Since it was a private room, how could Meng Tian and Lu Yuan have been witnesses? How did they get in? Did they watch my little uncle commit the murder?]
[With your intelligence and abilities, what are you even doing as an official? You’d starve chickens if you tried to raise them! You’d lose sheep if you tried to herd them! Utterly useless and only good for causing trouble!]
Hearing this, Shangguan Lin couldn’t help but curl his lips, nearly laughing out loud.
His precious daughter really knew how to curse.
She truly took after him!
This prefect was indeed incompetent and could not be allowed to remain in his position.
Seeing Shangguan Lin’s expression, the prefect was deeply puzzled.
What was the Emperor laughing about?
Was this case really that amusing?
Could it be…
That he thought the case had been handled well?
Observing Shangguan Lin’s smile, the prefect couldn’t help but let his own lips curl upward.
Hehe, perhaps he was about to get a promotion.
This thought had just flashed through his mind when, in the next moment, he could no longer smile.
“Lou Changqing, tell us your side of the story.”
A deep, magnetic voice rang out, striking like thunder in the ears of the prefect and Lu Yuan.
Both men’s faces instantly turned pale with terror.
What did the Emperor mean by this?
Shangguan Lin’s gaze fell upon the young man kneeling in the center.
He truly was Consort Chen’s younger brother, bearing a striking resemblance to her.
Lou Changqing pursed his lips, a shadow of sorrow passing over his handsome face.
In the hall, the young man’s clear voice began to speak steadily, recounting the true events of the case.