Chapter 98 If possible, let your parents have another child.
After the game, Su Qingci went straight to the servants' quarters in the backyard of the horse farm.
The man who had been leading the shouting on the field was already bound hand and foot with thick hemp rope, tied to a pillar in the room like a rice dumpling, with a piece of worn-out coarse cloth stuffed in his mouth.
Upon seeing her, he immediately emitted urgent "woo-woo" sounds.
Xiao Si, who was standing guard to the side, was a guard that Su Qingci had just selected from His Highness's Imperial Guard half a month ago.
He just turned seventeen this year. He is honest and kind-hearted, but he has real skills and can fight ten men at once in the Imperial Guard.
He's a bit slow-witted and seems a little "clueless".
When she went to choose someone, she saw him being bossed around by a bunch of veteran cops, but he was still happily running errands for people.
She softened her heart and chose him.
When His Highness found out, he jokingly remarked that she had a keen eye for talent.
But she felt that even if a person was foolish, as long as they were loyal, that was enough; too many cunning people would be difficult to control.
Upon seeing Su Qingci enter, Xiao Si immediately stepped forward and nimbly moved a pear wood chair from the corner of the wall, placing it in front of her.
Su Qingci sat down, her gaze sweeping over the bound man before turning to Xiao Si and asking, "Did you find out anything?"
Xiao Si shook his head, his expression serious. "He didn't say anything."
Upon hearing this, Su Qingci turned her gaze back to the man and said coldly, "You still have some backbone; you're quite stubborn."
To everyone's surprise, the man's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this, and his face was filled with panic.
He shook his head frantically, making muffled sobs, and kept glancing at his mouth as if trying to signal something, looking both anxious and disheveled.
Su Qingci looked on, then suddenly realized something and turned to Xiao Si in disbelief.
"Did you remove the gag from his mouth when you interrogated him?"
Xiao Si paused, then subconsciously shook her head. "I'm afraid he'll shout something..."
Su Qingci rubbed her forehead, feeling speechless.
After the cloth was pulled out of the man's mouth, he finally got a chance to catch his breath. After taking a deep breath, he immediately burst into tears.
"Miss, please spare me!! I'm innocent! I just got excited and shouted a few words on the field! I really don't know what I did wrong?"
"I don't have time to listen to your nonsense." Su Qingci interrupted his cries, "If you don't tell the truth, I'll have him cut off your manhood."
These men might be able to tough it out even after being beaten a few times.
However, the thing below was what they cared about most.
Sometimes, it seems to be more important than life itself.
Otherwise, why would it be called the "lifeline"?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Si did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately drew the knife from his waist, stepped forward, and tore off the man's trouser leg, revealing a gleaming dagger.
This swift and unexpected action stunned not only the man but also Su Qingci.
She closed her eyes briefly, let out a deep sigh, and then opened them, forcing herself to remain calm.
The man had never seen such a swift and decisive action before, and he immediately lost his composure and hurriedly begged for mercy.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you! Someone gave me ten taels of silver and told me to shout 'Great Qi is mighty! Long live the Princess!' I was confused for a moment and did as I was told. I never knew I would cause such a big disaster!"
Su Qingci focused her gaze solely on the other person's face. "Who told you to do that?"
"I don't recognize the little one either!"
Su Qingci gave Xiao Si a look, and he made a move to strike.
When the blade was only inches away from the target, the man was terrified and screamed.
"It's my cousin! He's running errands for Minister Liu of the Ministry of Rites, saying it was instructed by the Liu family's son! And it's not just me; he also got several other commoners to shout it together!"
Perhaps he was truly scared, because he blurted everything out in one go.
After saying that, he hurriedly said to Xiao Si, "Brother! Keep the knife away! I've told you everything, I've told you everything!"
Su Qingci sneered inwardly, "As expected, he's one of Prime Minister Cui's men."
She looked up and scrutinized the man. His clothes were wrinkled, and his eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact. He looked like a lazy, idle thug. So she deliberately lowered her voice and added a touch of intimidation to her tone.
"Do you know that what you shouted constitutes a crime of usurpation? If I were to take you to the Prefect of the Capital, beheading would be the least of your worries; if I'm not careful, your entire family could be implicated."
"Punishment of nine generations of relatives?" Upon hearing this, the man was so frightened that he wet himself, his trouser leg instantly becoming soaked.
The smell of urine mixed with the dust filled the room.
He originally thought it was just a way to make a quick buck, and his cousin assured him that he would never be discovered if he blended into the crowd. Who would have thought that he would cause such a disaster that would lead to the extermination of his entire family?
"I...I didn't know! I just took the money and did the job...Sir, please forgive me!"
Su Qingci ignored his cries and continued to press, "Your cousin runs errands for Minister Liu. Since Young Master Liu dared to entrust this matter to him, he must be quite valued in the household. Has he ever talked to you about the Liu family's private affairs?"
The man suddenly stopped crying, a hint of hesitation appearing in his eyes.
Even if he was stupid, he knew that the Minister of Rites was an important official of the court, and although the young lady in front of him looked powerful, she might not be able to defeat Lord Liu.
If the Liu family's affairs are exposed, Lord Liu will certainly not let him off the hook.
He shrank back, his voice trembling, "I...I don't know...My cousin is tight-lipped and never talks to me about things in the manor..."
"Looks like you haven't learned your lesson yet, still stubborn as ever." Su Qingci's tone turned colder. "You think that just because Minister Liu won't let you off the hook, I will? Let me tell you, I have Prime Minister Su behind me."
"Su...Prime Minister Su?!" The man looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock.
Prime Minister Su is the current prime minister, whose official rank is far above Minister Liu's. He is a figure who can rival Prime Minister Cui!
His mind raced, and cold sweat streamed down his face.
Seeing this, Su Qingci's tone became even more threatening: "If you offend Prime Minister Su, not even Minister Liu, let alone the Heavenly King himself, can protect you. In the end, giving you a quick death will be too good for you. Be careful, or you'll taste what it's like to wish you were dead!"
These words completely shattered the man's psychological defenses. He dared not hide anything any longer, nodding repeatedly and crying out, "I'll talk, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Su Qingci knew that if she invoked the name of the Eldest Princess at this moment, she could use her power to get the man to talk more quickly.
However, once Cui Xiang's people find out, they will inevitably seize on this as a pretext to accuse the princess of "abusing her power and framing ministers."
Invoking his father Su Xiang's name wouldn't matter even if Cui Xiang found out later.
Firstly, this matter had nothing to do with his father, and the Su family and Minister Liu had no obvious disputes before. Even if it was brought to the court for confrontation, it would reduce the suspicion of "factional infighting" and make it more credible.
Secondly, it can also extinguish any wavering thoughts in Father's mind. If Prime Minister Cui finds out that Father has "intervened" in this matter, it would be tantamount to forcing Father to completely break ties with Prime Minister Cui. Father would have no way out and would have no choice but to wholeheartedly stand on His Highness's side.
After clarifying the situation, Su Qingci did not linger any longer.
After leaving the house, she earnestly instructed Xiao Sishi: "Lock him up securely, make sure he doesn't escape, don't let him die easily, and don't let a single word leak out."
Xiao Si immediately replied, "Yes, Master, don't worry!"
Su Qingci had only taken two steps when she remembered the scene of the trial and turned back to remind her, "Next time... don't do that again."
Xiao Si looked blank and asked earnestly, "Master, what?"
Looking at his bewildered eyes, Su Qingci didn't know what to say for a moment, and finally just sighed deeply.
She paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Xiao Si, do you have any other brothers or sisters?"
“No,” Xiao Si shook his head, “I am my parents’ only son.”
"If you have the means, let your parents have another child," Su Qingci said with a hint of deeper meaning.
Xiao Si blinked as she watched Su Qingci's retreating figure, her mind filled with questions.
Why is Master suddenly concerned about his parents having a baby?
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