Qin Minglang was quite surprised.
In the Su family, the person with the least presence was his father-in-law.
Unexpectedly, he came to visit me after the incident.
Steaming hot roast chicken and pigeon, along with the finest sorghum liquor.
Qin Minglang dragged the chain in his hand, sat on the ground, tore off a chicken leg, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Cheng Nan uncorked the bottle and handed it over.
Qin Minglang didn't answer, but looked at him through his messy hair.
Suddenly, he let out a very cold laugh.
"Su Weichuan sent you? I didn't expect him to choose you for negotiations."
Cheng Nan looked stunned.
"Negotiations? What negotiations? The prince didn't contact me."
Qin Minglang tossed his hair aside haphazardly and stared intently at Cheng Nan.
"Didn't Su Weichuan send you?"
Cheng Nan shook her head.
“Your mother-in-law and Lan’er both went to plead with the old prince, but he refused to see them. My dear son-in-law, Lan’er should have told you about our branch of the Su family’s status. Don’t laugh at me, but all these years, I haven’t even been qualified to eat at the head table.”
"Although the old prince is no longer in court, he still firmly holds power among the civil and military officials. If he wants to save someone, he has plenty of ways to do so. But similarly, if he wants to abandon someone, no one else would dare to offer any help or mercy."
"You must be going through a lot. But you are Lan'er's husband and the grandson-in-law of the Su family. If you take all the blame and don't implicate the Su family, I think the old prince won't be so ruthless. He will appreciate your sacrifice and spare your life."
"For Lan'er, you..."
Before he could finish his persuasion, Qin Minglang scoffed.
"Make me confess? On what grounds? Do you think I don't know what Su Weichuan has done? If we're talking about guilt, he's more guilty than me. Go back and tell him that either I'm released without charge, or we all die together."
He bit off a piece of flesh fiercely, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and madness.
Cheng Nan lowered her eyes, remained silent for a few moments, and then sighed deeply.
“My dear son-in-law, you really underestimate the old prince. His refusal to see him has already made his stance clear. He is not afraid of any evidence you may have. You are a military general, so you should know better than me that the old prince and the ninth prince are the two great mountains of the Great Zhou's military and political system, standing on equal footing, with one gaining power while the other loses power.”
"But the old prince is not of the same surname and does not pose much of a threat to the royal family. Do you think the emperor would move the Su family's mountain and let the Ninth Prince become the only one in power for a second-rank general like you who has no real power?"
Qin Minglang's face turned extremely ugly.
Cheng Nan continued, "I've already overstepped my bounds by saying so much. If the old prince finds out, he will surely punish me. My dear son-in-law, just listen to my advice, confess your sins, and save your life first. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback. At worst, our family can move to Lan'er's fiefdom and live out the rest of our lives in peace. Don't do anything futile."
Just then, the jailer's impatient urging came from outside.
"Hurry up and go! The Third Prince will be here to take people away soon, so hurry!"
Cheng Nan didn't dare to delay and hurriedly stood up with the food box.
"Hide the wine and meat and eat them secretly, don't let them find out."
He gave repeated instructions, then was dragged away by the jailer, staggering as he went.
He appeared cowardly and timid.
Qin Minglang gripped the roast chicken tightly in his hand, his eyes red with hatred.
Soon, he was dragged to the torture chamber like a dead dog and bound hand and foot to the execution pillar.
Various instruments of torture, stained with blood, were lined up in a row.
The place reeked of a fishy stench. A red-hot branding iron burned on the embers beside it. When it touched the skin, it caused excruciating pain. In the end, a piece of flesh was burned raw, stuck to the branding iron, and torn off alive.
Qin Minglang got goosebumps all over his back.
Before long, Mo Shaojun walked in wearing a purple court robe, and someone immediately brought him a stool to sit down.
He sized up Qin Minglang, then gestured for the guard beside him to bring a stack of offering papers to Qin Minglang.
"These are the testimonies of those rioters. Each of them accuses you of murder. There are also private letters and secret correspondence to prove that you gathered their relatives together, distributed prohibited weapons, and intended to storm and murder the Ninth Prince."
"Lord Qin, the evidence is conclusive. Will you not confess now? Officially, we are both officials in the same court. Privately, we have both married women from the Su family. I really do not want to use such cruel torture on you. But my father has given me a deadline, and I have no choice but to expedite my work."
Qin Minglang didn't even glance at the testimonies; his gaze was fixed on Mo Shaojun's face.
Just because he is a prince and also the grandson-in-law of the Su family, does that mean he will be treated differently?
Su Weichuan was unwilling to provide assistance simply because the eldest branch of the family held important positions in the military and could support the Su family's military and political power, so they didn't need him.
Since that's the case, he decided to break the balance.
Let's see who has the last laugh.
"Your Highness, I want to speak to you alone."
Mo Shaojun frowned slightly.
After a moment of silence, he raised his hand to dismiss everyone and closed the door.
Inside the torture chamber, the air grew increasingly foul.
He raised his hand and gently covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
The sound was somewhat muffled.
What do you want to say?
Qin Minglang stared at his luxurious clothes and suddenly chuckled.
"When the two grandsons-in-law of the Su family are fighting amongst themselves, others will think that the emperor is giving the Su family a warning. Su Weichuan stays at home and doesn't come out. You think he is on your side, sacrificing me, his grandson-in-law, to fulfill your mission. You think he is wholeheartedly helping you to ascend to the throne and will not be swayed by anyone or anything."
“But Your Highness, I am a pawn to be discarded, and aren’t you just a pawn that can be replaced at will? After he betrothed Su Qinghe to you, he secretly had Su Yulan’s mother use Huo Shi, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Left Chancellor, to secretly contact the Second Prince. In Su Weichuan’s eyes, you are not the only choice. Or rather, you and I are just another smokescreen, and the one he truly supports is someone else.”
Mo Shaojun's expression turned serious.
"Why should I believe what you say in an attempt to exonerate yourself?"
Qin Minglang sneered again.
"When the Empress Dowager was attacked at Huguo Temple, I was guided to rescue her, and that person was related to Su Weichuan. The remnants of the Sui Dynasty that appeared in the imperial tombs were also related to the Su family. The gunpowder that almost wiped out Mo Yunhan's entire army when Qingfeng Village was wiped out was transported at Su Weichuan's behest."
Mo Shaojun immediately stood up.
Do you have evidence?
Qin Minglang shook his head.
"No!"
Mo Shaojun coldly said, "Since there is no evidence, it is a false accusation. Lord Qin, you should not waste your efforts."
Qin Minglang, however, was confident.
"It's just evidence; as long as you put your heart into it, you can produce it."
"Let's cooperate. I'll help you trip up the Second Prince, making you the only one Su Weichuan has no choice but to choose. In return, you help me get over this hurdle. How about it?"
Mo Shaojun frowned.
"I thought you were going to bring down the Su family."
Qin Minglang couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"The only person who can bring down the Su family is the Emperor, or the future Emperor. I am quite looking forward to the Su family being replaced by the Qin family in the future."
A hint of barely concealed excitement flashed in Mo Shaojun's eyes.
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