Chapter 349: Interrogation before the Emperor
At the beginning of the morning hour, the faint morning light enveloped the earth, and the road ahead became much clearer.
Lu Jiangnian, with three death warriors bound by iron chains, stood quietly outside the Suzaku Gate.
The morning dew wet the hem of his clothes, and the undried blood on his body condensed into dark purple spots on the black brocade robe, emitting a faint smell of rust.
"Lord Lu, the emperor has summoned you to the inner palace to see him immediately."
The eunuch delivering the imperial edict came hurriedly with a palace lantern. The dim light shone on Lu Jiangnian's angular face, reflecting a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Inside the hall, the scent of ambergris slowly flowed in the air.
The emperor got up early today, and before he had time to have breakfast, he heard that Lu Jiangnian was already waiting outside the door.
Lu Jiangnian is a very sensible person and would not do such a thing rashly. Something big must have happened.
The emperor didn't bother to serve the meal and summoned Lu Jiangnian into the palace.
"My dear, where are you from?"
The emperor's eyes wandered over Lu Jiangnian, fixed on the bloodstains on his body. Although there were no visible wounds on Lu Jiangnian's body, from his clothes, it could be seen that he must have been through a fierce battle.
Lu Jiangnian knelt on one knee and said, "I am guilty of disturbing the Holy Emperor."
His voice was hoarse but powerful as he recounted the thrilling assassination that took place in the early morning.
"As soon as I think about this, the thief is so bold that he dares to assassinate an official of the imperial court in the important place of the capital..."
Lu Jiangnian's Adam's apple rolled, and a sharp cold light flashed in his eyes. "It feels like a thorn in my back, and I can't sleep or eat well, so I have the audacity to enter the palace to see the emperor without changing my clothes."
He looked down at the bloodstains on his body that had turned black. The stains were particularly glaring in the bright candlelight in the hall.
"I have been disrespectful in front of the palace. Your Majesty, please punish me."
"Bang!" The emperor suddenly slammed the table, causing the teacups on the table to clink.
The cuffs of the bright yellow dragon robe swept across the memorials, knocking several booklets to the ground.
"Outrageous! It's totally lawless!"
The emperor's roar echoed in the palace, scaring the eunuchs standing by and they all fell to their knees.
Veins bulged on the emperor's forehead, and his fingers were tightly clenched around a green dragon jade pendant, with his knuckles turning a bluish-white color.
Lu Jiangnian remained kneeling, but he could feel the emperor's gaze pressing on his back.
The coolness of the gold bricks on the ground seeped into his knees through his summer clothes, but he did not move at all. He just counted the time silently in his heart. The three assassins should be waking up soon.
The emperor's mood eased a little, "Jiang Nian, do you know who did this?"
"I don't know, but we were lucky enough to capture three of them alive. They were knocked unconscious by the drugs I used last night, so I think they will wake up soon."
"Should I hand these people over to the Ministry of Justice for questioning?"
The emperor waved his hand, "No need, I want to interrogate him personally."
When Lu Jiangnian was assassinated on his way back to Beijing, the emperor was not so angry.
After all, the emperor is far away and the people behind the scenes only dare to take action outside the capital, which may not be a sign of their fear of the emperor.
Who could have thought that they would end up under the emperor's nose so soon?
Three assassins were brought in, and Lu Jiangnian suggested stabbing them with a dagger to wake them up.
The emperor allowed Lu Jiangnian to proceed with the trial without any scruples.
Lu Jiangnian took the dagger from the eunuch and stabbed each of them. The three assassins gradually came to their senses.
When they saw Lu Jiangnian, their first reaction was to be furious and curse Lu Jiangnian for being despicable.
"Such a despicable act, he actually used drugs!"
Lu Jiangnian sneered: "Didn't you take any medicine?"
"Your swords are poisoned. If the poison had not been removed in time, I'm afraid most of my men would have died."
After saying this, he put a dagger against one of the men's Adam's apple and said, "Now that we are in front of the emperor, tell me the truth. Who ordered you to assassinate me?"
The assassins then noticed that the place they were in was no longer Lu Jiangnian's villa.
The surroundings were magnificent, with a huge golden pillar with a carved dragon standing in the center. A man in a dragon robe sat on the top. Although he didn't say a word, he exuded a powerful aura that made people feel scared at the sight of him.
However, what does Lu Jiangnian mean by this?
Didn’t he say it himself last night? He knew clearly that they were sent by the Second Prince.
I think he wanted them to identify the second prince in front of the emperor.
What a joke! They are loyal men. They would rather die than betray their master.
"You deserve to die. We want to kill you, that's all."
Lu Jiangnian was delighted, it seemed that he had chosen the right person.
When these few people woke up just now, he noticed that the younger assassins had the most active eyes and such people tended to talk a lot.
The other two people's eyes were filled with old age and deadness, and it would be difficult to pry open their mouths.
Sure enough, the young man couldn't help but talk back.
"Oh, I never thought that I, Lu, was such a failure that I could be besieged by six masters."
As he spoke, he inadvertently stabbed the assassin again and punched him twice at the same time. The young assassin fell to the ground. Lu Jiangnian squatted down to talk to him, and his purse fell not far from the assassin.
"You really won't tell me?"
"If you speak out, you may be able to earn a living. I see you are not very old, why would you risk your life for others?"
"Tell me, what benefit did your master give you that is worth risking your life for? Maybe I can give you something better!"
This sentence hits the nail on the head.
The young assassin's pupils were a little dilated. He opened his mouth to refute, but quickly closed it at the last moment.
Lu Jiangnian could see that it was already a critical moment.
He continued, "I have always treated my subordinates very well. I will never let them die in vain. From this point of view, your master is not a kind person. You followed the wrong person."
The young assassin's consciousness was somewhat scattered.
He only heard someone say that his master was not good, and he loudly retorted: "Nonsense, you are talking nonsense, my master is the best person in the world."
"When my mother was sick, he gave me money and asked me to treat her. He is the best person in the world."
The other two people immediately realized something was wrong, and they shouted: "Shut..."
Lu Jiangnian was quick to activate the mute points of the two men and continued to provoke the assassin who had been hit.
"It's just a small favor, but it's not worth your consideration. People who hide their heads and show their tails are not important people. They are just rats in the gutter. They are not worthy of being my opponent, Lu Jiangnian."
The news about the Second Prince's impotence has spread widely outside.
Except for the emperor and Concubine Liang in the deep palace, everyone else heard about it.
Including these assassins.
Thinking of the humiliation the Second Prince suffered because of Lu Jiangnian's slander, the young man finally couldn't bear it anymore.
"Shut up, Lu Jiangnian, shut up. The Second Prince is the bright moon in the sky, with noble blood flowing in his veins. Why do you look down on him?"
"You are nothing but a dog of the Murong family. You are the prince's running dog!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
Lu Jiangnian was extremely satisfied, but he immediately pretended to be deeply shocked and murmured in disbelief: "Second Prince, it's impossible..."
"Your Majesty, this person must be trying to sow discord!"
The emperor closed his eyes tightly.
All the evidence shows that Concubine Liang and her son really have evil intentions!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
