Now, to make Liankong hand over the Prince of Beijin, he wouldn't have to go through so much trouble and could easily arrest him and throw him in prison.
Without evidence, if he were to arrest the Prince of Beijin, how would the world view him? They would simply think he couldn't tolerate the Prince of Beijin. It now seemed that the key to everything lay with Liankong.
"Yes, Your Majesty, and the Su family are ordinary craftsmen from the eastern suburbs. If Su Zhan is involved in such a major case, why doesn't Your Majesty throw the entire Su family into prison? I believe Liankong will surely hand over the mastermind."
Ximen Xinyue spoke softly, but her schemes were profound.
Murong Liuzun looked up at her. This woman was intelligent and ruthless in her methods, unlike Yao'er, who appeared cold on the surface but was actually kind-hearted. Unless provoked, she rarely took action.
Unlike Ximen Xinyue, the Emperor's lips curved into a cold smile, his eyes dark and inscrutable.
Seeing this, Ximen Xinyue's heart trembled. She quickly got up and spoke gently.
"I've spoken too much."
"No, your strategy is excellent, and I will consider it," Murong Liuzun's handsome face revealed nothing of his thoughts at the moment. He waved his hand to Ah Jiu, who was nearby: "Send Ximen Xinyue out."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ah Jiu obeyed and stepped in front of Ximen Xinyue, making a respectful gesture.
Ximen Xinyue bowed to the Emperor and followed Ah Jiu out with Lianyan. When she reached the curtain, she couldn't help but stop, cast a longing glance back at the Emperor, and then reluctantly departed.
Emperor Murong Liuzun's gaze was icy, his lips tightly pressed, and a spark flickered in his dark eyes.
The Empress had kept something from him. She had visited Liankong and must have known he was Su Zhan, yet she had kept it from him. Moreover, today she had instructed the Empress Dowager to confess to the murder of his mother.
What she had said earlier, he had forgotten to ponder because he was too angry at the time. It turned out they were talking about Su Zhan, which was why the Empress Dowager had lost her composure and inadvertently revealed the matter of his mother's murder.
Yao'er, you've actually hidden this from me?
Murong Liuzun's pupils flickered with an unsettling cold light, his aura chilling. He clenched his fist, and the brush in his hand snapped with a crisp crack, breaking into two halves and falling to the ground.
Ah Jiu, who entered from outside, saw the coldness emanating from the Emperor and his expression changed. He quickly walked over, picked up the two halves of the brush, and asked with concern.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
"Nothing. Don't let out what Ximen Xinyue said, especially anything concerning the Empress," a chilling voice resounded. Ah Jiu trembled, wondering in confusion what had happened with the Empress.
His Majesty had been very fond of the Empress yesterday. How could his mood change so quickly? Could it be that what Ximen Xinyue said was related to the Empress? Ah Jiu was stunned and had a vague inkling of the truth. He dared not say anything more.
"Yes, I obey your command."
"I'm tired and wish to rest," the Emperor stood up, his long fingers rubbing his temples. He had also been exhausted last night.
Although he was angry with Yao'er in his heart, the memory of her passion last night still stirred a warmth within him.
"Yes," Ah Jiu attended to the Emperor as he entered the sleeping quarters to rest.
In Fengluan Palace, Mu Qingyao slept until she woke naturally. The palace lanterns had already been lit in her chambers.
She blinked her large, clear eyes, slightly disoriented. Once her mind cleared, she sat up. In her chambers, Meixin and Mochou were directing the maids in tidying up. Seeing her awake, they immediately signaled the maids to withdraw.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling better?"
Meixin asked her mistress with concern. She was still unable to come to terms with the lingering bruises on her mistress's body.
As no one had explained to her what those marks were, the girl always felt that her mistress had been bullied by the Emperor.
"Yes, much better," Mu Qingyao stretched her limbs. Her energy had mostly recovered. Smiling, she reached out to support Meixin's hand: "I want to bathe; I feel so dirty."
"Not at all, Your Majesty always smells fragrant," Meixin said ingratiatingly, like a dog vying for favor.
"You, you only know how to say nice things. If you get married tomorrow, you'll surely be able to make your husband very happy."
As soon as Mu Qingyao spoke, Meixin became displeased and righteously retorted: "I will only serve Your Majesty and stay with Your Majesty for a lifetime. I will not get married."
"Good, our Meixin is the best. Then, can the lovely and charming Meixin help me get up to bathe?"
Mu Qingyao spread her arms. Meixin and Mochou immediately reached out to help her up. The two attended to her as she entered the sleeping chambers for a fragrant hot bath. The soothing warmth finally washed away all her aches. Now, she felt refreshed, radiant, and charming, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders.
As the weather had turned cold, Meixin, afraid she would catch a chill, quickly dried her hair with a dry cotton cloth. She didn't tie it up, letting it fall over her shoulders, making her even more elegantly captivating. She wore a light, long skirt, with a luxurious embroidered peony cloak over it, exuding a graceful aura that was hard to look away from.
Especially the soft, warm smile on her face at this moment, which made people feel an inexplicable urge to cherish her.
"Your Majesty, be careful not to catch a cold," Meixin said, reminding her while fastening the ties of her cloak.
"I know," Mu Qingyao smiled.
She knew that Meixin and Mochou were genuinely good to her. She always treated those who were sincere with her as family. Therefore, the three of them had a particularly close bond. Now, with Moyou, the four of them were like a small family, loving each other.
"Your Majesty, are you hungry? Shall I have the evening meal prepared?"
Meixin looked her mistress up and down with satisfaction before finally asking in unison.
"No, I want to go to Weiyang Palace."
As soon as Mu Qingyao spoke, she was met with opposition from Meixin and Mochou: "Your Majesty, why are you going to her place? What if that woman has ulterior motives?"
"I have something to do," Mu Qingyao said calmly. If it weren't for something important, she wouldn't bother with those people. Everyone should mind their own business and not provoke anyone. However, she had something to discuss with Chu Yuyan now. She hoped Chu Yuyan could help the Emperor persuade her father to relinquish his military power, otherwise, the Chu family would face great disaster.
Upon hearing that their mistress had something to do, Meixin and Mochou fell silent. Their mistress's expression was very serious, indicating it must be important. Otherwise, she wouldn't associate with people like Chu Yuyan.
"Then I'll have someone summon her here."
"No, I slept for half the day. I might as well take a walk," Mu Qingyao raised her hand to stop Mochou's action. Since their mistress was so insistent, Mochou and Meixin could no longer object. They accompanied their mistress out of the chambers and happened to see Moyou walking towards them. Moyou raised an eyebrow: "Where is Your Majesty going?"