Chapter 14 (This can be waived if you tell the truth)
As dawn broke, a brilliant glow emerged from the distant horizon, illuminating the snow-capped peaks of the mountains.
The oasis town in the desert gradually began to ring with the soft sounds of bells and barking dogs, as early-rising women carried water jugs to fetch water from outside the town.
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Suddenly, a flock of birds took flight from the woods, breaking the silence.
From the direction of the rolling golden sand dunes, a thunderous sound of hooves came from the main road, and more than a dozen horses galloped towards the oasis and rushed into the earthen city.
Amidst the flying sand, a dozen tall, imposing figures, exuding a menacing aura, dismounted and went to the irrigation ditch to fetch water.
The woman by the ditch was so frightened that she picked up her kettle and turned to hide under the grape trellis.
An old woman, noticing the group's distinguished attire, boldly stepped forward and warned, "You're from the Central Plains, aren't you? This water is drinkable, but don't jump in. A few days ago, a prince from the capital jumped in and nearly drowned..."
The canal suddenly fell silent. A man in a black brocade robe with a turned-down collar turned his head, his sharp gaze like a razor blade scraping across the old woman's face.
The old woman, despite her extensive experience, was still terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.
The man asked, "Where are those people now?"
The old woman pointed in the direction of Liucheng, then turned around and disappeared into the grape trellis.
The subordinate walked up to the man and respectfully handed him a full water bag: "Minister, the Prince and the others should still be in Liucheng, not yet in Xizhou."
"Useless." The man took the water bag and sneered, "From Luoyang to Xizhou, so many days have passed, and Wu Yanxing still hasn't managed to drag Chai Yong down with him."
The subordinate said, "They may have already arrived in Xizhou, Vice Minister. Should we contact the Prince first?"
The man shook his head, mounted his horse, and said, "I'm not going to look for that good-for-nothing. I'll do it myself."
The group climbed onto the horses and disappeared into the sunlight.
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Chai Yong, dressed in the uniform of a soldier, carried a basket and followed a soldier down the steps.
The underground cell had no windows for lighting, so it was dimly lit and got darker the further you went in, with a pungent stench hitting you.
He banged his head a few times in the narrow, low passageway, slowly adjusting to the darkness.
The guards stopped in front of a cell and pointed inside: "Here."
Where he pointed, a thin figure was curled up in a ball, lying on the ground, motionless and silent, as if it had been dead for a long time.
Chai Yong felt a sharp pain in his heart and quickly stepped forward, calling out, "Third Sister! Third Sister!"
Upon hearing his voice, the figure stirred, raising its face. In the darkness, it appeared blurry, with only a pair of bloodshot eyes visible.
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Chai Yong hurriedly said, "Third Sister, don't worry, I've sent Fifth Brother to take care of them."
Lu Huaying was sentenced to death. Pei Jingyao was worried and fearful, and he was restless. He wanted to help but did not know how. In his anxiety, tears came out. Chai Yong asked him to take care of Wang Yu and Lu Hongbi to prevent him from having wild thoughts.
"Third Sister, are they sure they haven't let you go hungry? Have something to eat."
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Lu Huaying didn't move, her eyelids drooping: "Thank you."
Her words of thanks made Chai Yong feel even more guilty and distressed: "Third Sister, don't you resent me and Fifth Brother?"
If Pei Jingyao hadn't spoken so quickly, perhaps none of this would have happened.
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“Your Highness… to tell you the truth, my brother and sister-in-law and I have fallen to this state. Just to survive, I have exhausted all my strength. There is no time to blame anyone. Life is too bitter, I…” She paused, “I am really too tired…”
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Chai Yong clenched his fist tightly and said, "Third Sister, I believe you didn't kill Wu Yanxing. I'll find a way to get you out!"
Lu Huaying moved, slowly raising her hands.
Chai Yong saw her blood-stained hands, her ten fingers a bloody mess.
“I refused to sign, and even bit my ten fingers raw, but they still sentenced me to death.” Lu Huaying slowly got up. “Your Highness, they just want to close the case as soon as possible.”
Chai Yong's gaze lingered on Lu Huaying's bitten fingertips. His face was grim, and he clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
this
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"Third Sister, I won't let them close the case so easily." Chai Yong slowly loosened his fist, leaving a deep mark on his palm. "I'll send someone to deliver a message to the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate... No matter who I ask, I can't stand by and watch you be wronged!"
His resolve was unwavering.
Lu Huaying remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, enduring the pain, "Besides me, only Wu Yanxing's attendants went in and out of the house. The doors and windows were not opened, and I did not hear any other people breaking in. I did not kill him. The murderer must be one of his attendants. The murderer stole my pestle beforehand, which means that he did not kill me suddenly and then hastily frame me. He had murderous intent towards Wu Yanxing before I performed the dance... If Your Highness wants to help me, you can investigate Wu Yanxing's attendants and see if you can find any clues."
After being thrown into the cell, she repeatedly recalled what happened before Wu Yanxing died. Wu Yanxing died in the house, so the murderer must have been someone who had been inside the house.
Chai Yong nodded: "I also think they can't escape suspicion. I've already sent Pubu to investigate. Who do you think is the most suspicious?"
“I don’t know them, so I can’t judge,” Lu Huaying shook her head. “They are all suspects. Even if they aren’t the murderers, someone must have been an accomplice… After Wu Yanxing died, they rushed up under the pretext of revenge, trying to kill me in the chaos…”
Chai Yong looked thoughtful: "Are they killing people to cover their tracks?"
“That’s right, if they kill me in the chaos, the case will be closed, so I’m faking my death.”
Lu Huaying looked up, revealing her bruised and swollen face through her disheveled hair. It was a gruesome sight, with dried blood clots in her hair and blood seeping from the wounds.
“They thought I was dead and stopped. I held my breath until I was dragged away before I could speak.”
Looking at the battered and bruised Lu Huaying, Chai Yong couldn't help but admire her quick wit. In such a chaotic and desperate situation, she was able to remain calm and decisively play dead, thus escaping a calamity.
"Everyone who hit you is a suspect. I'll investigate them one by one!"
He assured Lu Huaying.
"Young Master, someone's here! Please leave immediately."
The guards who led Chai Yong in urged him on.
Chai Yong gritted his teeth and said, "Third Sister, wait for me, I will catch the murderer!"
The guards couldn't wait any longer and came over to pull Chai Yong away: "Young Master, hurry up! If someone finds out I secretly brought you in, I'll definitely get a beating!"
Chai Yong had no choice but to turn around and leave.
Lu Huaying's voice came from behind: "Your Highness, please tell my sister-in-law and brother... that they must take good care of themselves."
Chai Yong's heart tightened as he was wheeled out of the prison by the guards.
He changed his clothes, summoned Pubu, and ordered him to investigate Wu Yanxing's followers.
The Registrar and the County Magistrate have already sent the report that Lu Huaying is the murderer to Xizhou.
After Zhou Qin finished examining Wu Yanxing's body, the Registrar and the County Magistrate rushed downstairs, leaned against the wall, and vomited up the pancakes they had eaten that morning.
An attendant approached and whispered, "Minister, even after being whipped, Lu San Niang still refuses to identify Chai Yong."
The Registrar and the County Magistrate understood his intention, shuddered slightly, and followed him.
Another companion rushed up and hugged his waist, shouting, "Zhou Qin is here!"
The man's attendant with a knife stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Minister, I believe that it must be that Prince Chai and the Prince had a feud and that Prince Chai wanted to kill the Prince. He bribed Lu Sanniang so that she would kill the Prince."
The two suppressed the urge to vomit, inwardly cursing Zhou Qin for being a pervert.
The man in the black brocade robe glanced at the dying Lu Huaying and raised an eyebrow: "Lu Sanniang is from a prestigious family, how could she kill the Prince for no reason?"
A hint of sarcasm flashed across Lu Hongbi's brow: "Can't you prove it? Feifei and the Crown Prince have only known each other for a few days. Does the Crown Prince really care about her life or death?"
The attendant entered the cell, bent down, smiled, and said, "Lu San Niang, Minister Zhou has already investigated and found out that the mastermind is Chai Yong. You were only forced to kill the Prince because of the Prince's threat. As long as you confess the truth, you can be spared the death penalty."
The attendant responded.
A soft laugh came from above.
The next day, Chai Yong led his entourage to the post station. They had only gone halfway when a companion caught up with him and grabbed him: "Sanlang, disaster is imminent, why are you still rushing forward!"
Wang Yuzhu's eyes were brimming with tears.
The thin figure on the ground made no sound.
The Registrar and the County Magistrate exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding and their backs covered in cold sweat.
Chai Yong went to the Registrar's Office to explain the doubts.
Chai Yong rushed to the Lu family's earthen house.
...
Lu Hongbi glanced at Chai Yong a few times and asked softly.
“I admire Third Sister!” Chai Yong raised his head and said resolutely, “I will do everything in my power to save her!”
Lu
Hongbi glanced at him, gave a self-deprecating laugh, leaned his weak body against the earthen wall, and said with a cold look in his eyes: "Poor Feifei, she has been the one supporting the family for the past few years. She was framed and I, as her older brother, could do nothing. My sick sister-in-law had to take care of me... I can only place my hopes on the young master."
However, they refused to send anyone to interrogate those soldiers.
The Registrar didn't listen to a word, his expression was perfunctory, he nodded and said, "What the young master says makes sense."
Lu Huaying remained motionless.
Chai Yong's expression suddenly changed.
The sound of a whip slicing through the air and striking a body emanated from within.
Chai Yong entered the house.
Zhou Qin said expressionlessly, "Then beat her, beat her until she agrees."
Several attendants, each holding a horsewhip, lashed the ground at a figure curled up in pain, one lash after another.
...
Zhou Qin said, "Keep fighting."
“She is Lu San Niang.” A fearful and tense voice came from the darkness. “Minister Zhou, she is the one who killed the Prince.”
Chai Yong quickly helped Wang Yu stand up, and Pei Jingyao came over and helped Wang Yu sit back down. The two of them promised her that they would do their best to rescue Lu Huaying.
Before he could even speak, Chai Yong was convinced that the haggard man before him was Lu Huaying's brother.
The footsteps stopped outside the cell, and several pairs of eyes fell on her.
Lu Huaying remained silent.
He stood there for a long time.
"yes."
Wang Yu suddenly chased after him and knelt down before him.
...
When the Registrar and the County Magistrate entered the room, they couldn't help but cover their noses, not wanting to get close. But he seemed not to smell anything. He not only walked up to Wu Yanxing's body, but also bent down to carefully examine the wounds on Wu Yanxing's body. His gaze was focused and seemed to be a little appreciative.
Half an hour later, the attendant came out of the cell, wiped his sweat, and said, "Minister, no matter how I tried to bribe her, Lu San Niang refused to identify Chai Yong."
The attendant called over a few others, untied the riding whip from his belt, and went into the cell.
Zhou Qin frowned and walked into the cell.
"Take good care of yourself, Brother Lu, so that Third Sister can rest easy."
A servant brought a message: "Young Master! The second young master of the Lu family has awakened!"
A young man with a sickly appearance sat leaning against a bed covered with hay. His face was pale and bloodless, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were bluish. He tried hard to keep his back straight, and he was so thin that he was skin and bones, shockingly frail and weak. Yet he still had a noble air about him, and his features were delicate and beautiful, with a kind of androgynous softness.
Chai Yong came out of the house and instructed Pei Jingyao to take good care of his uncle and sister-in-law.
Chai Yong recounted his meeting with Lu Huaying in the prison, and concluded by saying, "I will find a way to prove that Third Sister is innocent."
Chai Yong was frustrated and angry, but there was nothing he could do.
His voice, like his personality, is like a gentle spring stream or a sky full of drifting catkins.
The man nodded and turned to leave.
Neither the Registrar nor the County Magistrate dared to respond to him.
Zhou Qin's cold, dark eyes watched as the riding whip lashed out again and again.
...
Voices and footsteps could be heard outside the cell.
A moment later, Pei Jingyao came out to greet him, his eyes red: "Sanlang, Second Brother Lu has woken up. He asked why Third Sister wasn't here. My sister-in-law cried until her eyes were swollen. I couldn't hide it from him, so I told him everything that had happened these past few days."
A burly man with large ears stood at the door. When he saw him riding in, he glared at him and turned to run inside.
Chai Yong often heard people mention the Lu siblings. The third sister was bright and lively, her beauty radiant. The two older brothers were handsome and refined, renowned as beauties in both capitals. The younger brother, Lu Silang, though young, was also bright and dashing, full of spirit. All the brothers had been considered for the position of imperial consort, but the Lu family adhered to its family rules, maintaining a tradition of marrying only into four aristocratic clans. For over seventy years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, not a single daughter of the Lu family had married a prince, nor a son had married a princess.
This Vice Minister Zhou wants to drag Chai Yong into Wu Yanxing's case. His target is likely the entire Chai family. She won't fall for it, and she can't afford to.
The Registrar and the County Magistrate escorted a figure down the steps.
"Young Master Chai, you must save Fei Fei!"
Zhou Qin looked at Wu Yanxing.
Chai Yong returned to the magistrate's house with a sullen face. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before summoning his attendants: "Tomorrow I'll take you to arrest a few people. Remember, interrogate them immediately after you arrest them, but don't kill them."
The attendant hesitated and said, "I'm afraid that if we keep fighting, I might accidentally kill her."
"Where is Feifei?"
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