Mo You quickly stripped Prince Chu of all his clothes and carried him out. Reaching an empty corner on the second floor, she discarded them.
Striding back downstairs, she caught up with the shadow ahead in a few large steps. "Master, it's done."
"Good," Mu Qingyao's gaze, cold and sharp, shifted to the second floor. Serves him right. Let the adored and admired Prince Chu experience the taste of helplessness. But don't think she was letting him off the hook. A smile played on Mu Qingyao's lips as she watched a rich young lady approach from across the way. She walked over with a smile.
"Miss, you have such a beautiful appearance. No wonder Young Master Chu from the Prime Minister's Chu family admires you. He specifically asked me to await your arrival here."
The young lady was initially displeased, but hearing such handsome words of praise from this young man made her heart swell with joy. Upon hearing that the Young Master Chu of the Prime Minister's family admired her, she couldn't stop smiling, her heart fluttering like a deer's.
"Is what you say true, sir?"
"Young Master Chu is waiting for you in his private chamber on the second floor?"
As soon as Mu Qingyao finished speaking, the young lady, losing all pretense of decorum, rushed inside. She was here precisely because she had received word that Young Master Chu, the son of the Prime Minister, was present, and thus had dressed up to come.
She never expected that the Prime Minister's son, who rarely interacted with them, would actually favor her.
With Chu Qianyi dealt with, Mu Qingyao was in an excellent mood. She led her subordinates out of the Ming Feng Tower and took a carriage to the Ministry of Justice.
In the carriage, Mo Chou and Mo You, who had been sitting quietly, glanced at their mistress.
Thinking of the torment Chu Qianyi was currently enduring, they couldn't help but feel a prickling sensation on their scalps. Their mistress truly was someone who avenged every grievance, and her methods were extremely cruel. It was best not to provoke her.
"What is it?"
Mu Qingyao glanced at her two subordinates, amused by their ever-changing thoughts.
Mo You and Mo Chou shook their heads simultaneously. They had no desire to provoke her. Her mood was excellent right now, and if they upset her, they would surely be punished.
The prison of the Ministry of Justice.
This was Mu Qingyao's second visit. The first time was for matters concerning the Prince of Nan'an, and this time it was for a different affair.
The prison was heavily guarded, with layers of checkpoints. Ordinary people couldn't get in. However, Mu Qingyao was the Empress and had the Emperor's verbal decree. Therefore, as soon as the Minister of Justice received the news, he hurried to accompany her.
Besides the Minister of Justice, the Prince of Nan'an and the Prince of Beijin were also present. A group accompanied her to the prison.
Due to the significant implications of the Yue Jue Temple incident, no one was allowed to see the prisoners alone. Therefore, Mu Qingyao instructed the Prince of Nan'an to accompany her into the prison. The Minister of Justice and the Prince of Beijin waited outside. Although the two of them were clearly displeased, they dared not protest.
The prison was damp and dark.
From outside to inside, many prisoners were confined. The young monks were, without exception, kept in the outer cells. The deepest cell housed the abbot of Yue Jue Temple, Master Liao Kong.
At this moment, he sat cross-legged in his cell, fingers sifting through prayer beads, eyes tightly closed, chanting softly. A sense of peace emanated from him; he showed no fear despite being in prison.
Mu Qingyao and the Prince of Nan'an, Murong Liu Zhao, exchanged a glance, then turned to instruct the jailer to open the cell door.
Receiving the Prince of Nan'an's order, the jailer swiftly opened the cell door.
With a wave of his hand, the Prince of Nan'an dismissed the jailer. Mu Qingyao led Mo Chou and Mo You inside.
The Prince of Nan'an, Murong Liu Zhao, did not enter. Instead, he led his personal guards and stood by the cell door. He trusted this woman. Mu Qingyao had specifically requested the Prince of Nan'an's presence, knowing he would assist her.
Inside the cell, Monk Liao Kong heard the noise and slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Mu Qingyao and spoke slowly, his voice filled with immense sorrow.
"The benefactor has arrived."
"Yes, Master," Mu Qingyao did not treat him with disrespect simply because he was a prisoner. Instead, she politely bowed. Not minding the filth of the prison, she lifted the hem of her robe and sat down on the ground. The two faced each other, not like enemies, but more like friends.
Master Liao Kong's wise eyes gazed clearly at Mu Qingyao. He clasped his hands together. "Benefactor, you have come to find this old monk. You must have a purpose, yes?"
"Yes, Master should know why. What mystery lies beneath Yue Jue Temple, Master should know. And what sins will result, Master should also know. I have come to find Master merely to minimize the sins Master has committed. For one woman, to ruin so many people... Even if Master goes to the underworld, I fear you will find no peace."
As Mu Qingyao finished speaking, Liao Kong's body trembled. His pupils clouded over. With a forceful squeeze of his fingers, the prayer beads snapped. One by one, they bounced and rolled onto the ground, scattering everywhere. Liao Kong's face was ashen, and he sighed with heartache.
"Sins, oh sins. All of this is my fault. If I can die to spare others from suffering, I am willing to die."
Mu Qingyao's eyes suddenly turned sharp and cold. An aura of chilling hostility emanated from her as she glared at Liao Kong.
"Su Zhan, are you still unenlightened even now? What you must do is hand over the mastermind. Only then can those innocent young monks at Yue Jue Temple be protected. What fault do they have? And have you forgotten your own Su family? If you do not confess clearly, it is possible that your entire clan will be wiped out. Do you truly wish to watch a large number of people pay with their lives for your infatuation?"
Mu Qingyao's words struck Master Liao Kong like thunderbolts. He felt dizzy, his body swaying from side to side. His face turned pale, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Heavenly Father, this old monk is willing to repent before the Buddha beads and endure five hundred years of hellish torment."
Master Liao Kong closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and chanted softly.
Mu Qingyao clearly saw his suffering, but he showed no further reaction. Sensing that he would not reveal the mastermind, she decided to ask him about something else.
"Master, how did you come to know Chu Mengyun? Can you tell me about that? This request should not cross your boundaries, should it?"
As soon as Mu Qingyao finished speaking, Master Liao Kong's eyes suddenly snapped open.
Past events, like fleeting clouds, surged into his mind. All the bitter and painful memories rushed back, as clear as if they had happened yesterday. He sighed heavily.
"The past is not worth recalling. Looking back, it was all youthful recklessness, a fleeting dream." He sighed in pain. If it weren't for his deep obsession, how could all this have happened today? Perhaps she, he, and everyone else were living in a different kind of reincarnation.
"When I met her, we were only ten years old. I was the son of a small fabric workshop, while she was the daughter of an official. But she never looked down on me. When I was hungry, she would steal food from her home to let me eat my fill. Therefore, from the age of ten, I knew that as long as she was happy, I was willing to do anything."