Chapter 87 Confrontation (1) [VIP]

Qu Hanjin walked around the screen calmly and saw the Ninth Prince standing beside His Majesty, and she knew that her guess was correct.

It was truly the Ninth Prince who lost his temper and took the initiative, bringing the incident to His Majesty. He was determined to take the blame for deceiving the emperor and murdering the Crown Prince, clearly angering the Ninth Prince by having her taken away from him.

"I, your humble servant, come to pay my respects to Your Majesty." He bowed respectfully, his face calm, as if he had expected this situation.

Emperor Xuanlong, Chu Zhan, got straight to the point and began by asking about the day the crown prince was murdered: "I ask you, where were you at noon on the third day of the sixth lunar month?"

Puzzled by the words, the young master, as white as snow, frowned and thought carefully. After pondering for a while, his jade-like face revealed some difficulty.

"May I ask why, Your Majesty?" Confusion grew in his eyes as Qu Hanjin answered slowly, his expression remarkably calm. "I cannot recall clearly. I only remember that I was teaching at the residence during that period."

Hoping he couldn't remember, Chu Zhan continued in a stern voice, angrily smashing the jade cup down, shattering it beside his brocade robe. "What I'm talking about is the day the Crown Prince was murdered. Old Nine told me it was you who did it..."

After hearing this, he was immediately surprised. He looked at the sinister figure beside His Majesty in confusion, was silent for a moment, and then reported calmly.

"How can His Highness the Ninth Prince put the blame on others so easily? To be honest, I did enter the palace that day." Qu Han replied calmly. Thinking about it, the only person he had seen that day was the princess, and he must rely on this person to escape.

"I can enter the palace...just to chat with Princess Muxiao."

When she first met him in front of the Eastern Palace, the princess must have sensed that something was amiss in the Eastern Palace, but she happened to see him and Qing Luo parting on bad terms at that time, so she paid attention to her disrespect.

Right now, the only one who can resolve this situation is the princess.

He answered humbly, explaining his actions that day several times, his composure unwavering: "Princess Mu Xiao has been away on the battlefield for a long time. I heard that she would stay at the palace for a few days, so I came to visit her."

"Sir, you are truly eloquent. You dare to lie so eloquently in front of our father. You are deceiving the emperor!"

Chu Yanshuo shouted loudly, glaring and waving his sleeves, only then did he realize that Mr. Qu was so capable of confusing right and wrong and telling lies without batting an eyelid.

"Princess..." The Ninth Prince sneered as he mentioned the person. He then bowed to His Majesty and said solemnly, "Yes, Father, please summon Princess Mu Xiao. Once she gives a statement, we'll know whether what you said is true or not!"

Chu Zhan stared intently at the furious Ninth Prince, then looked at Yan Ran's figure a few steps away. He waved his dragon sleeve and ordered Eunuch Tao on the side to go and call for more people.

"Call Mu Xiao here too!"

Emperor Xuanlong still followed Lao Jiu's wishes. Although he was a king and claimed to be a wise and virtuous monarch, he had to protect his son after all.

Seeing Eunuch Tao walking away in obedience, Chu Yanshuo snorted coldly. Knowing that his father was biased, he continued, "Your Majesty, you must not believe Mr. Qu's lies. It was Mr. Qu who forced me to pass on your decree to dismiss the Eastern Palace guards. That's when..."

"How can I, a humble official, force Your Highness?"

Qu Hanjin interrupted and asked solemnly, his words eloquently: "Could it be that I, your Highness, held my sword to your neck, forcing you to commit such a treasonous act?"

If it was said that it was Mr. Qu who forced them, no one in the palace would believe it.

The master could not wield a sword, nor had he ever learned any martial arts. He simply devoted his days to the study of music theory, with the single-minded desire to produce the most pleasant musical sound in the world. This was a fact known to all the world.

As Chu Zhan listened, he felt it was more and more absurd. How could he hear that Lao Jiu was coerced by Qu Aiqing? It was all nonsense.

"Ninth Brother, if you say that someone else coerced me, I can still believe it a little." Turning his eyes to look at the prince beside him, Emperor Xuanlong's eyebrows were stern, as if he was deliberately reminding him, "If you say that my beloved minister Qu, I absolutely cannot believe it!"

His Majesty's thoughts were always unpredictable. Chu Yanshuo's expression changed slightly, but his voice remained firm: "But it is true, sir, that the Crown Prince lost his life by bringing the Miss Chu from outside the palace into the East Palace..."

The Ninth Prince would not admit to colluding with the Master. If he did, he would be shooting himself in the foot. For now, he could only insist that it was the Master who coerced him...

However, the Ninth Prince never expected that His Majesty would even catch the Crown Prince as well in order to find out his rebellious intentions.

Chu Yanshuo wanted to argue but had no words to say. After a moment of silence, he saw Eunuch Tao walking slowly back into the hall.

Following her into the hall was Princess Muxiao, who had just returned from the battlefield.

"Your Majesty, the princess has arrived." Eunuch Tao obediently stepped aside and reported.

The heroic figure walked in suddenly, looked at the people around him, and his gaze lingered on the elegant and pure young man for a moment. Then, he clasped his fists towards His Majesty in bewilderment, waiting for the next words.

Having obeyed the Ninth Prince and summoned Mu Xiao, Chu Zhan wanted to understand what all the commotion was about, so he asked the princess sternly, hoping to hear her answer: "On the day the Crown Prince was murdered, Lord Qu entered the palace to reminisce about the past. Is this true?"

Mu Xiao was startled when she heard the voice. It was an old story. She turned her head to glance at the gentleman and saw that flawless and pure snow was looking at her lightly.

Emperor Xuanlong didn't hear a reply for a long while, and then he spoke again in a cold voice, threatening the heroic figure in front of him: "This question is about whether the changes in the Eastern Palace have implicated Lord Qu. I want to hear the truth."

Your Majesty was asking about the Crown Prince's murder in the Eastern Palace, and Mu Xiao probably knew something about it. Thinking back calmly, she recalled what she had witnessed at that time and realized with a start that the master was hiding something.

That day, there was indeed something unusual in the East Palace, and the master did not come to talk to her about the past.

"Princess, seeing that you have been silent for a long time, Eunuch Tao hurriedly whispered something.

But if I were to expose it, the gentleman might lose his life...

Mu Xiao couldn't help but clench her fists in her sleeves, knowing that her husband had no interest in her and knowing that Miss Chu looked at her with contempt.

However... staring at the bandaged hand, Mu Xiao's eyes trembled.

Even at this point, Mu Xiao still didn't want to put his master in any trouble.

"Mu Xiao was just thinking back, Mr. Qu did have a past reconciliation with Mu Xiao, and it was Mu Xiao who escorted Mr. Qu out of the palace at that time," he replied respectfully to His Majesty. Mu Xiao's face was solemn and he replied in a serious tone, "Mu Xiao can say a few words on Mr. Qu's behalf regarding the changes in the Eastern Palace."

Dao Luo's words were extremely firm, and anyone who heard them would believe them to some extent.

The hall was suddenly silent. The man was called by the Ninth Prince, and the words were said by the Ninth Prince. The situation was clear. It was obvious that His Highness was slandering and framing others.

Or maybe His Highness was making this up out of thin air because he hated the Master for taking his concubine away from him, and in a fit of rage, he came up with this idea.

The Ninth Prince wanted to ruin Mr. Qu's reputation, so he went to Guangcheng Palace without fear of gain or loss.

Seeing the emperor's face turn ashen, Chu Yanshuo was in disbelief, his eyes filled with anger. He didn't understand why the princess told such a lie for the master, why she wanted to... protect the master with her life.

"The princess is deceiving the emperor!"

The Ninth Prince raised his eyes and shouted angrily, pointing in astonishment at the extraordinary and majestic figure, then at the clear and solemn figure standing in front of him, and his reply became weak: "The princess is deceiving the emperor, father..."

“That’s enough!”

Not wanting to listen to Lao Jiu's nonsense any longer, Chu Zhan suddenly flew into a rage. He swung his sleeves violently, and the pots and cups on the table fell to the ground. The sound resonated throughout the hall. "Lao Jiu, don't you mind embarrassing me?"

Chu Yanshuo was stunned on the spot, lowering his head slightly, his whole body shivering. After a long while, he murmured, "Father, I really saw you sneak into the East Palace. You are the one who harmed the Crown Prince..."

"If you really saw it, then I suspect it was you!" Emperor Xuanlong interrupted again, the anger hidden in his words seemed to make the entire palace tremble. "Do you still insist on making a false accusation?"

There was once a rumor that Mr. Qu of the Music Bureau was resourceful and decisive, and was not easily surprised by praise or criticism. He was a rare talent.

However, this gentleman was unfamiliar with the affairs of state, and for years he was accompanied only by the sound of the zither, living in seclusion in his own mansion...

Only then did the Ninth Prince realize how deep the evil intentions hidden by this seemingly calm and composed person were.

Chu Zhan's brows were furrowed, his face gloomy, and he was still furious. "You, my dear Lord Qu, asked me to summon you, and you, too, asked me to summon Princess Mu Xiao. Old Nine, Old Nine, where do you think I stand?"

"Everyone retreat!" He ordered everyone to retreat, and Emperor Daning turned his back angrily, his back looking extremely majestic.

"I don't want to see anyone today!"

The servants on both sides were trembling with fear, and all bowed their heads in silence. Seeing this, Eunuch Tao quickly waved his hand, signaling them to quickly bow and leave.

If you provoke His Majesty's wrath again, you'll probably lose your head...

Outside the Guangcheng Palace, the sky was clear and the air was blue. The cold wind of early winter gradually rose, as if covering the palace in fog.

As the snow-white figure walked down the steps of the palace, Chu Qingluo suddenly smiled and walked slowly to the side of the young master, and the worry that had been hanging in her heart slowly subsided.

While waiting, she saw Princess Mu Xiao being summoned into the palace, and she knew what the master's plan was.

He wanted the princess to testify out of thin air, and resolutely took advantage of the princess's remaining trace of affection, betting that the princess would continue to lie for him and save his life...

She walked lightly back along the palace path, still feeling a lingering fear as she pondered over it, "Sir, how could you have known that Princess Mu Xiao would cover up this lie for you?"

"I just took a desperate risk. If she hadn't said a few words for me, I would have been sentenced to death without a doubt." Hearing this, Qu Han answered lightly. He actually learned this trick from her.

"I am just learning from Qing Luo and taking advantage of other people's feelings. This is the worst strategy, but also the best choice."

She had deceived him, exploited his desires, and even tried to control him with her beauty...

But that was already the past, why was he still brooding over it?

However, she was really surprised that he would want Princess Mu Xiao to solve this situation.

The princess might have hated both her and her husband, but the feelings they had for so many years couldn't be dissolved overnight. No matter how much she resented him, she certainly couldn't bear to watch him being executed.

After happily boarding the carriage, Chu Qingluo lifted the curtain, raised her brows slightly, and admired the winter scenery with contentment: "Sir, your words are becoming more and more difficult to understand. Now that everything is peaceful, it couldn't be better."

The carriage drove out of the palace smoothly, bringing with it gusts of cool breeze. She suddenly sneezed and hurriedly lowered the curtains by the window.