Lou Mu propped his head up with one hand, his nonchalant demeanor causing the person lying down or kneeling to tremble.
"And you! Chang Antong, you're a prefect, why aren't you staying in your prefectural residence? What are you trying to do by coming to Jingning City?"
"Your...your humble servant..."
Chang Antong had already cursed Jia Feng, that idiot, to the core in his heart.
Seeing that Chang Antong was stammering and had no way to defend himself, Lou Mu then took the small notebook handed to him by the young prince.
"Chang Antong, the Prefect of Liuzhou, accepted a thousand taels of gold and two jade carvings from Jia Feng..."
As Lou Mu listed them one by one, Chang Antong's face turned ashen, and he collapsed to the ground.
It's over, everything is over.
In the courtroom, Lou Mu finally finished reading out a list of charges. He snorted coldly and threw the book at Chang Antong's feet.
"Lord Chang, is there anything else you wish to say?"
"Your humble servant knows his or her crime."
Lou Mu slammed the gavel and announced loudly.
"Wang Fu, as the county magistrate, condoned his nephew's wrongdoings; his crime is unforgivable! The Jia family bullied others and bribed officials; their crime is intolerable! Jia Cheng oppressed the people and harassed respectable women; his crime is unforgivable! Take these people to prison and await their fate!"
Chang Antong had just breathed a sigh of relief when Lou Mu continued.
"Chang Antong, the prefect of Liuzhou, accepted bribes and colluded with merchants. He will be imprisoned first. You should go and explain your case to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."
He has already sent someone to inform the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review that he will arrive in Jingning City soon.
As Lou Mu finished speaking, the people in the hall applauded and cheered.
After leaving the hall, the group quickly used a spell to reach Nanyu City.
Outside Nanyu City, a large imperial entourage was stationed.
The leading official saw several people heading towards Nanyu City from afar and was about to step forward to stop them when he spotted a familiar figure.
He quickly stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"This humble general pays his respects to Lord Lou."
"Get up. What's the situation inside the city now?"
"Lord Lou, we have been keeping watch here as you instructed, and we have not seen any suspicious people."
"This humble general does not understand why we are ordered to garrison outside the city, when the city is clearly..."
The official's tone carried a hint of helplessness and confusion.
"Do you still remember how the late emperor died?"
Lou Mu said calmly, and the official trembled upon hearing this.
He was present when the late emperor had his accident, and the scene still terrifies him when he thinks about it now.
"It won't be inside..."
Lou Mu nodded, staring intently at the city gate with a serious expression.
"But..." the official hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage to whisper, "Princess Huaining has arrived and specifically requests to see Miss Tang."
Tang Nian had a bit of a headache; she had guessed that Chu Roujia would come looking for her again.
But this has only been a day, and such a thing has happened. She doesn't even get to rest properly in the palace for a few days.
"No rush, don't tell her I'm here yet. I'll go find her later."
She had been keeping an eye on Lou Mu, and his furrowed brows naturally did not escape her notice.
"What's wrong?"
"I can no longer sense Jingyao's presence."
He turned to look at Tang Nian, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"We must find them as soon as possible. Tang Nian, can you sense Ming Huan's presence?"
Tang Nian closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to catch Ming Huan's breath.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and pointed into the city.
"Let's go."
"You all wait here." Lou Mu had just taken a step when he suddenly saw the officials beside him rubbing their hands together in anticipation, and quickly stopped them.
The group then set off, following Tang Nian's guidance, speeding through the streets and alleys of Nanyu City.
A short while later, it stopped in front of the gate of Song's Pharmacy.
The four characters "Song's Pharmacy" on the pharmacy's signboard have faded and are difficult to recognize.
The windows were covered with heavy curtains, which were already covered with dust and cobwebs.
Stepping into Song's Pharmacy, a musty, old-fashioned atmosphere immediately greets you.
The shop is filled with various cabinets for medicinal herbs, but most of them are empty, with only some tattered labels and scattered herbs remaining.
Behind the counter was a worn-out wooden table and a few chairs, the tabletop covered with dust and clutter.
"Strange, Minghuan's presence was clearly in the pharmacy..."
Tang Nian murmured to herself as she searched around the pharmacy.
The others also dispersed and went into the courtyard.
"Senior sister! Come quick!"
Upon hearing the young prince's shout, Tang Nian hurriedly lifted the curtain and rushed to the backyard.
In a corner of the backyard, a dying figure caught her attention.
It was a bright red fox, its once glossy fur now stained with dust and blood, mottled and plastered to its skin.
She huddled in the corner.
Hearing footsteps, she struggled to open her eyes a crack and saw an unfamiliar child in front of her. She tried to bare her teeth at him, but her frail body had no power to intimidate her.
She closed her eyes only after she saw a familiar face behind the child.
Tang Nian knew that she was Jing Yao.
How could Jing Yao be so badly injured that she can't even maintain her human form?
Tang Nian picked up Jing Yao with trembling hands, and smelled a familiar scent mixed with the stench of blood.
"Find him! Where is Minghuan?!"
Tang Nian suppressed her anger and said.
Not long after, Lou Mu walked to Tang Nian's side and looked down at Jing Yao, who was nestled in Tang Nian's arms.
"Take a look at this."
Lou Mu handed the porcelain doll in his hand to Tang Nian.
Tang Nian pursed her lips and remained silent.
That porcelain doll resembling Ming Huan was a gift she gave to him.
Ming Huan kept a trace of his presence inside, and never let it leave his side.
However, at this moment, the porcelain doll also appeared dull and lifeless, as if it had lost its vitality.
Ming Huan also got into trouble.
"Senior sister, we haven't found any trace of him." The young princess looked at Tang Nian, who was about to burst out, and whispered, "Sometimes not finding him is actually a good thing..."
"Let's go back first. It's not good for Jingyao to stay here," Lou Mu advised.
Taking Jingyao outside the city was obviously not appropriate, so they found an inn nearby to stay in.
After settling Jingyao in, Tang Nian turned and walked out of the room without saying a word.
"division……"
Just as the young prince was about to chase after him, Lou Mu stopped him.
"Don't go to her, let her be alone."
"But……"
"She knows what she's doing."
Tang Nian hadn't gone far when she was stopped by someone she knew.
"Brother Fan, is there something important you need me for?"
"The lord invites you to a gathering in the underworld."
Tang Nian's eyes lit up.
They quickly followed Fan Wujiu into the Gate of Hell.
After entering the gates of hell, instead of following the familiar path, they wandered aimlessly through the pitch-black ghost road.
Suddenly, Tang Nian exclaimed in surprise.
A towering tree appeared out of nowhere before them, its thick branches completely obscuring the chaotic sky of the underworld, with specks of light emanating from it.
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