Chapter 11 Chapter 11 “As soon as the wind blows, you can smell it all. …

Shangguan Xu walked back to the resting place in the middle of the prison, where Qinghe, a group of palace maids and the Chief Censor Su Ran were waiting.

Everyone saluted her.

Shangguan Xu said softly, "Thank you, Fifth Brother Su, for your help today."

Su Ran smiled back, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is my duty."

After saying this, he asked again, "I wonder if Censor Xu has explained anything to the Empress?"

Shangguan Xu raised his eyebrows and said nonchalantly, "He didn't explain anything. He naturally denies what Liu Chang said. I really can't help Fifth Brother Su with this."

Su Ran comforted her, "The three divisions will handle these matters together. Your Majesty, don't worry."

Shangguan Xu nodded and suddenly changed the subject: "Maybe I can take a look at the blood letter left by Liu Chang?"

Su Ran hesitated.

Shangguan Xu understood clearly and said, "I know what Fifth Brother Su is worried about. After all, I sent this person out, and his actions are more or less related to me—"

"Is Fifth Brother Su worried that I might be partial and try to protect him?"

Su Ran opened her mouth to argue, but Shangguan Xu spoke first, "But the date for the joint trial has already been set, and everything will be determined by the outcome. What can I do? I'm simply curious about the contents of the blood letter. Of course, as I just mentioned, I also want to see if anything in it implicates me."

Su Ran thought about the contents of the blood letter and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Although you sent the person, the current situation is only due to his own negligence. It has nothing to do with Your Majesty. If Your Majesty wants to read the blood letter, I naturally have no reason to stop you."

He said, "Please follow me, Madam."

——

Shangguan Xu was taken by Su Ran to the place where the evidence was stored and saw the contents written in blood.

"Indeed, every word is written with tears and sorrow." Shangguan Xu sighed after taking a rough look at the blood letter.

Su Ran also sighed, "Yes, the most important thing is that the torture mentioned in the blood letter is indeed something that other colleagues in the Censorate have heard of. And... I also checked later and found that Censor Xu did check the accounts of the Ministry of Works in recent years."

Regardless of whether the other content is true, the use of torture and the involvement of old events from four years ago do match Xu Qing'an's recent actions.

Moreover, the blood letter was densely packed with more than 200 words of accusation. The emotions were undiminished, the content was linked one after another, and the logic was so rigorous that Shangguan Xu could not find any flaws at first.

No wonder Su Ran agreed to bring her to see it.

She couldn't help but feel that Xu Qing'an was too optimistic.

"Your Majesty, do you think there is anything wrong with this blood letter?" Su Ran asked softly in a tentative tone.

Shangguan Xu glanced at it again with her usual expression, then shook her head. "It's fine. It does seem like something written by someone who's been wronged," she said calmly. "Besides, the events of that year have long been settled. If what's written in this blood letter is true, then the person who mentioned it must have ulterior motives."

"How does Minister Su plan to interrogate the person in prison in the next few days?" When talking about official business, Shangguan Xu also used his official title again.

"According to the regulations, flogging is inevitable. Does Your Majesty have any instructions?" As she spoke, Su Ran looked up at Shangguan Xu, as if looking for any flaws in her expression. She seemed to have no doubts about what happened that year.

Shangguan Xu turned his head and smiled at him, "Nothing to tell you, I'm just curious."

She put down the blood letter and prepared to leave, but she turned back as soon as she took a step, as if remembering something she had forgotten, and said, "Oh, by the way, I left my cloak with him."

"He seems to be feeling unwell and a little cold, but my cloak is only for him to keep warm. There's no such thing as wearing it to avoid punishment. He always talks without hesitation. Brother Su Wu, don't let him fool you."

Su Ran was slightly surprised that Shangguan Xu would say this to him, but after realizing what was happening, he quickly replied, "Yes, thank you for reminding me, Your Majesty."

Shangguan Xu smiled once more and finally left.

——

That night, only the bedroom lamp was lit in Lizheng Hall, and the bed curtains were drawn. After washing up, Shangguan Xu lay on the couch, thinking about what happened in prison today.

He said he wanted to give her a gift.

She had to admit that his words did pique her interest.

Because she could feel that if his gift was really prepared, it would not be simple.

Although he always has a smile on his face, a person's eyes can't lie.

His smile often did not reach his eyes. Although she could not see his emotions clearly, she could feel that there was an ambition in his eyes that was not limited to the pursuit of power.

He could express his heartfelt grievances to her with an innocent look and sincere words, and he could also calmly tell her about the torture he had inflicted on Liu Chang.

This is not what a Confucian scholar should look like.

Such people are good at getting along with everyone, are cunning and calculating, and they often want to get something in return for every step they take, whether it is a conspiracy or an overt one, just to get what they want in the end.

No matter how gentle and bright such a person appears on the outside, he is cold-hearted and indifferent inside.

So this is why she doesn't believe today that he would put himself in danger just for a group of victims who have nothing to do with him.

As it turned out, she was right.

He really had other purposes.

But because of this, he is a good knife.

The gift forged by the knife will definitely not be an ordinary thing.

Then she would make good use of it.

But, was his imprisonment something he expected?

Judging from what he said, there is still a possibility that what he wants to do will fail. Is it Liu Chang's blood letter that is blocking his way?

Thinking of this, Shangguan Xu took a long breath, closed his eyes and rested for a while——

Liu Chang's blood letter was indeed tricky. It contained more than 200 words, and the crimes he accused were all supported by evidence. But Liu Chang was dead now. How could he argue with a dead man at the joint trial of the three courts?

Wait, that's not right!

Shangguan Xu suddenly opened his eyes and slowly sat up.

She stared in thought for a moment before calling out, "Qinghe."

Qinghe responded and walked in from the outer hall.

"My Lady."

Shangguan Xu said, "I heard that the Censorate's penalties for trolling are more severe than those of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court. He's weak, and I'm afraid the flogging he received today didn't go well for him. Tell the kitchen to make a pot of chicken soup tomorrow. The chicken must be killed fresh. Once it's done, you can personally deliver it to him and tell him how it's made."

Shangguan Xu emphasized: "From killing the chicken to stewing it, tell him every step! Let him know how precious this bowl of chicken soup is!"

Qing He was confused at first, but after a moment's silence, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Your Majesty, are you going to...!"

After hearing this, he should know what it meant. If he didn't, there was no need for her to help him.

Shangguan Xu smiled at Qinghe, confirming her unspoken suspicions, but snorted coldly, "After all, he was the one who saved me from the water when Shang Yuanye fell into it. While the merits and demerits of these two things can't be offset, I can't fail to show some appreciation in the eyes of others. Otherwise, wouldn't that be cold-blooded?"

"But when you send the soup over, you must scold him and tell him that this disaster was caused by his own actions. He can't blame anyone else for his current situation. If he can still come out this time, tell him to behave himself in the future. He's not the only official in the court. Does he really think he can change the situation?"

"Su Xingzheng should be with you at that time, so let him listen as well."

Qinghe understood and bowed to say yes.

Just as she was about to leave, a voice came from behind her: "Forget it."

Shangguan Xu changed his tone and said, "Let's send it to him on the day of the three-court trial. If he wins that day, then this chicken soup will just serve to clear his name. If he loses, then it will naturally be his last meal."

Having said that, Shangguan Xu was thinking that she wanted to see whether he would get involved in the game with his whole being or make a mistake.

If it's the latter, then let him be anxious for a while.

He acted on his own twice in a row and was very proud of himself.

——

The light in the cell was dim. Xu Qing'an's white clothes were stained with blood. He lay powerlessly on a pile of weeds, holding the cloak at his side.

He was only tortured in the afternoon. Although he clearly felt that the whipping was lighter after coughing for a while, he had suffered some damage after all, and his skin was inevitably torn.

When Su Ran sent him back after the interrogation, she pretended to ask him a few questions. He knew that Su Ran didn't let him go, but was just afraid that he would die in prison.

However, he still refused Su Ran's offer to help him cover the cloak -

The blood is dirty and the black color can still be stained.

It is still the first month of the lunar year. Even if the sun is shining brightly outside during the day, it will be cold as long as there is no sunlight inside, not to mention that it is night time now.

Xu Qing'an closed his eyes, half hugged and half rested his head on the cloak, with half of his face buried in it.

The injuries and coldness invaded his body at the same time, and his breathing was shaking uncontrollably.

He clasped his hands tighter, tucking his cloak under his nose, and memories of the past surfaced in his mind:

"Brother Jing, you are so amazing. You can recognize me even when I am wearing a mask."

The boy suppressed a laugh: "Your eyes can't deceive anyone."

"Then it seems I'll have to cover my eyes from now on."

"That's no use."

"Why?!" the girl said coquettishly.

"You often smell the scent of peonies."

"As soon as the wind blows, you can smell it all."