Now that Pei Du held both the Mystic Eagle Guards and the Xiaoshi Bureau in his grasp, his channels for spreading information far surpassed those of Uncle of the Emperor from the Zhai family.
Qiancheng narrowed his eyes. Had Cui Siniang and He Yichen used him and then turned around to join forces with Pei Du?
Qiancheng had no time to dwell on it further, as this turmoil had now implicated Madam Wei…
To those higher-ups, Madam Wei was nothing more than an ant—useful when needed, disposable at any moment.
Regardless, Qiancheng had to secure Madam Wei’s release first.
However, Cui Siniang’s father and second uncle were two people Qiancheng could not lay a hand on.
If these two were to bear any injuries, Uncle of the Emperor from the Zhai family would have his skin flayed.
He had acted on his own authority to arrest them; he needed to quickly achieve merit to make up for his mistake…
Master Cui, kneeling behind Cui Jingxian, looked up and felt a chill in his heart under Qiancheng’s gloomy gaze. He instinctively glanced toward his elder brother.
Cui Jingxian respectfully clasped his hands toward Qiancheng. “My lord, this humble commoner has only recently arrived in the capital. May I ask why you have seized my brother and me? Dare I ask… where is my daughter now?”
Qiancheng maintained the demeanor of the Left Commandant, leaning back slightly, and asked coldly, “Cui Siniang bribed assassins from the Qianjin Pavilion to attempt the assassination of the current Imperial Tutor, Lord Xie, and the Chief of the Mystic Eagle Guards, Lord Pei. She has already been captured and taken into custody. Cui Jingxian, Cui Jingkang, you had better confess truthfully.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Jingkang was so shocked he nearly collapsed.
Cui Jingxian’s face also turned pale. “My lord, my lord… this… how could this be? Siniang is just a young lady from the inner chambers. This is her first time leaving Wu City in her entire life! My lord, you can investigate thoroughly! How could she possibly have the audacity to assassinate the current Imperial Tutor and the Chief of the Mystic Eagle Guards? This must be a wrongful accusation. Please investigate clearly, my lord!”
“Wrongful accusation? Caught red-handed, and you still dare cry injustice?” Qiancheng suddenly raised his voice. “Do I have to resort to torture before you’ll confess?”
“My lord, please be discerning! I am but a lowly merchant; how would I dare deceive you? My daughter is a frail woman; how could she possibly dare to commit such an act against high-ranking officials of the court?” Cui Jingxian kowtowed heavily. Though fear made his pupils tremble, his mind remained clear.
The more critical the situation, the more they must not reveal their true purpose for coming to the capital.
“This humble commoner came to the capital merely to see what business opportunities might be available. I brought my daughter along because three years ago, during the flood in Wu City when flood diversion was carried out, she once relayed a message on behalf of an Inspector Commandant from the Xiaoshi Bureau to the prefect, instructing him to change the flood diversion weir! I thought of bringing my daughter along, hoping that by chance we might encounter that Inspector Commandant in the capital. If we could receive a word or two of guidance, we might better understand what business we could pursue here!”
Even the timid and fearful Cui Jingkang, upon hearing his elder brother’s words, understood that although they were currently unaware of Cui Siniang’s situation, if they revealed that they had come to the capital to accompany Cui Siniang in meeting a noble personage, it would drag the entire Cui Family into the court’s factional struggles.
“I beg you to investigate clearly, my lord!” Cui Jingkang also kowtowed. “This matter is widely known in the Wu City area, especially in Taiqing County. My lord, you can send someone to investigate! But to say that my frail niece attempted to assassinate a court official—that is absolutely impossible!”
Upon hearing this, Qiancheng narrowed his eyes, growing even more convinced of Cui Siniang’s identity as a confidante of the Princess.
“The fourth daughter of the Cui family was the Princess’s trusted confidant before her death. Are you telling me… your Cui family knew nothing about this?” Qiancheng spoke up. “Her assassination attempt on Minister Xie and Pei Du was driven by revenge for the Princess, as Minister Xie and Pei Du conspired to cause the Princess’s death. How dare you claim… your Cui family was completely unaware?”
Master Cui abruptly looked up, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Your Honor! My daughter is only sixteen! The year the Princess passed away, she was merely thirteen… How could she possibly have been the Princess’s confidant? Such an absurd accusation must be a fabricated slander! I beg Your Honor to see the truth!”
Master Cui the Second hastily added, “Your Honor, what kind of figure was the Princess? How could our humble merchant family ever associate with someone of her stature? My niece has never even left Wu City since she was a child!”
From the fifth to the dawn of the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the capital witnessed too many events, making the night feel both fleeting and interminable.
Before the morning court session, officials gathered in small groups, discussing the previous night’s affairs.
Particularly the generals who had once followed the Princess wore grave expressions, speculating on the rumors’ veracity. They planned to ask Xie Huaizhou when he arrived—if there truly was such a confidant of the Princess, they wished to meet her.
In the Princess Manor’s private prison, He Yichen, who had been taken for interrogation, had yet to be returned.
Yu Yunyan had been unable to sleep all night. She paced anxiously before the cell door, exclaiming, “Are we just supposed to wait here, unable to do anything?”
As she spoke, footsteps approached, and Pei Du appeared at the cell entrance.
“Pei Du, where is He Yichen? What have you done to him?” Yu Yunyan rushed to the cell door, gripping the wooden bars tightly.
“He Yichen is perfectly fine,” Pei Du said, turning his gaze to Yuan Fuyu. “Miss Cui, if you please!”
“Pei Du, why can’t you speak here?” Su Ziyi looked at Pei Du.
Liu Mei sneered and was about to rise and confront Pei Du when Yuan Fuyu pressed down on her shoulder.
Using the support to stand, Yuan Fuyu said, “Just as well. I have some questions I’d like to ask Chief Pei in private.”
Pei Du signaled for the cell door to be opened. Watching Yuan Fuyu step out, he instructed the guarding Mystic Eagle Guards, “Take the others away and ensure they are properly accommodated.”
“Yes.”
Yuan Fuyu had taken only two steps when she suddenly turned back to Su Ziyi. “About fighting the Turkic tribes—are you interested?”
At these words, Su Ziyi’s lips trembled slightly. He clenched his belt, his entire body tensing.
Yuan Fuyu understood his desire from his reaction.
If in the past she had harbored selfish hopes for the remaining six of them to live out their lives in peace, last night in the cell, seeing the excitement in their eyes as they reminisced about old times, she realized that wasn’t truly what they wanted.
All six of them had stepped back for her sake.
Yuan Fuyu followed Pei Du out of the private prison and into the interrogation room.
Surveying the instruments of torture, she casually picked up a whip stained with the blood of countless individuals. She strolled leisurely around the room, as if admiring the tools on the walls.
“The matter of the Princess’s confidant and He Yichen plotting to kill you and Minister Xie must be the talk of the town by now. And yet, you still intend to torture me?”
Pei Du stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the torture chamber, his expression cold and somber. “The Emperor’s Uncle from the Zhai family bribed assassins from the Qianjin Pavilion to carry out an assassination attempt when Minister Xie, I, and the Princess’s confidant He Yichen were meeting. Their aim was to frame Minister Xie and me for plotting against the Princess. Fortunately, the Golden Banner Eighteen Guards intervened, but the Princess’s confidant is now on the brink of death. Minister Xie is currently searching all over the capital for physicians to save him.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Fuyu paused her fingers, which had been stroking her whip, and turned to look at Pei Du behind her.
The implication was clear: whether she would be tortured or even killed rested entirely on Pei Du’s whim.
Yuan Fuyu was not surprised by Xie Huaizhou’s actions, as he had never been one to merely react passively.
Now, the waters of the court were likely to grow even murkier.
Pei Du watched as Yuan Fuyu curled the corner of her lips, her gaze brimming with a restless excitement he could not comprehend.
Given the current situation, it was clearly unfavorable for her.
Before Pei Du could figure it out, he saw Yuan Fuyu press her whip forcefully against the wall in front of her…