But now the Emperor ordered her to confess, and she had no choice but to turn someone in. What should she do?
The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the table, unable to speak a word. Her face was grim. Her own daughter had done something so disgraceful; how could she still have the face to speak?
Seeing that Murong Ruoyin still dared to be disobedient, her old face flushed and then paled, paled and then flushed again. She roared angrily, "Your imperial brother is asking you a question! Haven't you handed that person over yet?"
Murong Ruoyin's situation was too much of a shock for the Empress Dowager, who had always been arrogant and overbearing. She finally couldn't bear it and fainted. Eunuch Li quickly stepped forward to support her and exclaimed in a panic, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"
"Escort the Empress Dowager to her sleeping quarters and summon the imperial physician to treat her."
There was not the slightest ripple on the Emperor's handsome face as he calmly and collectedly commanded Eunuch Li. Eunuch Li immediately reached out to support the Empress Dowager and walked towards her sleeping quarters. He glanced at the princess as he left, wishing her good luck. It seemed even the Empress Dowager could not protect her this time.
In the great hall, the Emperor still looked down at Princess Murong Ruoyin with a cold face, his sharp voice ringing out:
"Speak, who exactly have you been colluding with to commit such an act that disgraces the imperial family's reputation?"
"Imperial brother, it, it is?" Murong Ruoyin's voice was no louder than a mosquito's. With great difficulty, she managed to utter two words: "Qin Hao."
"Qin Hao?" Murong Liu Zun and Mu Qingyao exchanged glances. The former looked bewildered, while the latter's gaze was somewhat inscrutable.
She had heard from Chun Han that this Qin Hao was a subordinate of the Empress Dowager. How could the princess have gotten mixed up with such a person?
At the flower appreciation banquet, her gaze had been following Liu Qianmu all along. Was that man Qin Hao or Liu Qianmu?
"Who is Qin Hao?"
The Emperor's cold, harsh voice sounded again, bloodthirsty and savage. Although Murong Ruoyin was not his full sister, she was still a princess of the imperial family. Such a major incident had occurred. If it were to spread, how could Xian Yue maintain its dignity? How could it hold its proud position among the seven kingdoms?
"Hand him over immediately! Tell me where he is! I will never let him go."
The Emperor waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept through the great hall, smashing many antiques. With a crash, they shattered.
Murong Ruoyin was so frightened that her face lost all color. She covered her ears and screamed. Mu Qingyao glanced at her coldly. Since she had the nerve to do such a shameless thing, what was she afraid of? Didn't she know that a princess who did such a thing would inevitably be cursed by thousands of people?
"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."
Mu Qingyao's voice sounded coolly. At this moment, she felt like the evil queen from Snow White.
But who told this woman to bully her too much? Regarding the matters of Mu Qingzhu and Mu Qingxiang that day, she could not escape responsibility. Today, this was retribution. She felt no sympathy whatsoever.
"You!" Murong Ruoyin's blood surged upwards when she heard Mu Qingyao's voice. She looked up and glared fiercely.
But then she saw her usually heroic imperial brother. His handsome face was clouded with dark, gloomy energy, and his eyes, like a deep, bottomless ancient well, seemed ready to swallow her whole.
Murong Ruoyin cowered backward, pleading repeatedly.
"Imperial brother, I dare not do it again. Please spare me this once."
"You dare to ask to be spared?" As Murong Liu Zun's voice fell, he reached out and grabbed the princess's collar. Enchanting bloodstains appeared in his eyes, as ferocious as a wolf's, emitting a chilling light, as if he would devour her if she spoke another word.
Fear occupied Murong Ruoyin's entire mind. She finally realized her terror and, with tears welling up in her eyes, managed to suppress them under her imperial brother's bloodthirsty and frightening gaze, not daring to let a single tear fall.
"Imperial brother? I?"
"Guards," Murong Liu Zun suddenly let go, and the princess slumped to the ground. He roared outside with a murderous look. Ah Jiu led two eunuchs in and respectfully asked, "Your Majesty?"
"Send someone to confine the princess in Jiuhua Palace, secretly summon an imperial physician to abort the fetus in her womb, and never allow her to leave Jiuhua Palace again until the wedding day arrives."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Ah Jiu's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the princess on the ground. No wonder the Emperor's face was so grim, and the Empress Dowager was so angered that she fell ill. It turned out that all of this was caused by the princess.
Ah Jiu walked up to Murong Ruoyin and respectfully said, "Princess, please."
Princess Murong Ruoyin dared not say another word. She groped her way up and stumbled after Ah Jiu as they walked out.
Before they had even left, the Emperor's sinister voice rang out again: "If anything of today gets out, all those responsible will be put to death without mercy."
In the great hall, the voice was icy cold and devoid of any warmth.
Ah Jiu and the two eunuchs behind him carefully responded, "Yes, Your Majesty," and led their people away.
The surroundings fell silent. The red glow of the sunset faded, and the sky gradually turned dark. The hall was in disarray and desolate. Mu Qingyao stood still, watching the Emperor.
His killing intent was heavy, like a wolf that had just finished a fight, his eyes flashing with sharp light. He slowly turned his gaze towards her.
He gradually calmed down a lot, but his face was still covered in frost, exuding cold ruthlessness. Yet, even so, it did not diminish his handsomeness.
"I never expected such a thing to happen in the imperial family. I was truly too careless. Who exactly is that Qin Hao?"
"Perhaps the child is not Qin Hao's. Whose child is it? Doesn't Your Majesty have any intuition at all?"
Mu Qingyao looked at him coldly, not telling him anything about Qin Hao. However, her words were like thunder after a rain, instantly striking open the Emperor's mind, causing his slightly relaxed icy eyes to darken ominously:
"You say it's his? Damn it, I will not let him go."
The enraged Emperor gathered his profound inner strength and struck out with his fist. The bronze cauldron in a corner of the hall was smashed to pieces. The incense ash within it swirled and sprinkled throughout the entire hall, filling the air with fragrance.
Mu Qingyao gasped. The Emperor possessed such deep inner strength. It was likely that his martial arts had reached the peak of perfection, making him an opponent that ordinary people could not match. Even masters would find it difficult to resist him.
"Your Majesty."
"That's enough, Yao'er, you may return. I will handle this matter." Murong Liu Zun steadily withdrew his hand and turned to look at Mu Qingyao. He saw that the usually aloof girl's face, for once, showed a look of astonishment. It seemed she was startled by his anger.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Qingyao takes her leave."
Mu Qingyao regained her composure, offered a polite bow, and withdrew.
This time, the Empress Dowager and the princess had suffered a heavy blow. It was believed that they would not be able to move for some time. She could use this opportunity to thoroughly search for evidence of the Empress Dowager's crimes from years ago.