Chapter 913 Suspicion
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately lowered her head, and Yuwen Ye said, "Father, please forgive me."
"Forgive me?"
Upon hearing those two words, and recalling the Ministry of Justice officials kneeling before him to report on the day's events, repeatedly pleading "forgive me," Yuwen Yuan's anger flared even more. He gritted his teeth and sneered, "Forgive me for what? What did you do wrong?"
"..."
"Was it that you 'happened' to be present when the incident occurred, or that you didn't immediately return to the palace to give me an explanation afterward?"
"..."
Or perhaps,”
Yuwen Yuan's gaze turned cold and sharp: "Was today's incident orchestrated by some people?"
These words were like a sharp, chilling sword, piercing the listener's body. Shang Ruyi knelt on the ground, and even though Yuwen Ye was beside her and he was the one to respond, she still couldn't help but feel a chill rise from the bottom of her heart.
Indeed, Yuwen Yuan couldn't help but have doubts.
Although they had intentionally been guarding that road today, they never expected anyone to risk blocking the Ministry of Justice's vehicle transporting prisoners or assassinating a wanted criminal. However, Pei Xingyuan's relationship with them was self-evident, and the collision between the two would naturally arouse suspicion.
Yuwen Ye calmly said, "Your Majesty's words are unworthy of my respect."
"If we can do it, how can we not deserve it?"
"When that incident happened today, your son and Ruyi were indeed present, but it was not something Father Emperor thought was intentional. Pei Xingyuan's assassination and kidnapping today have nothing to do with your son."
"Since it has nothing to do with you, then answer me, why were you there?"
As he spoke, Yuwen Yuan leaned forward slightly. His tall stature and imposing presence made it seem as if the person sitting in the hall was not a man, but a fierce tiger that might pounce at any moment: "Really, is it just that 'perfectly'?"
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then said, "No."
"..."
“Your subject went there specifically, specifically to be there.”
"Specially? Specially for what?"
"Yesterday was the Lantern Festival. Ruyi originally wanted to go out of the palace to see it and celebrate with the people, but I was worried that there would be too many people on the road and something might happen, so I didn't take her. I couldn't bear to make her sad, so I promised her that she could go out of the palace today as a way of making up for it."
"oh?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan immediately turned to look at Shang Ruyi. Before he could speak, Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "Reporting to Father Emperor, it is indeed so. It is all my fault."
Yuwen Yuan did not refute her last sentence, but his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.
However, the next moment, he still looked at Yuwen Ye with a cold gaze: "So, that's how it is?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "But, apart from that, I did indeed intend to go there."
"Why?"
“Because I know that Father will summon Pei Xingyuan to the palace for questioning today. I know I should avoid suspicion, but he and I are comrades. Since he was imprisoned, I have not visited him, also to avoid suspicion. But today he passed by there, and even if I only glanced at him from afar, it would be enough to fulfill my duty as a friend. If he truly has treasonous intentions, I will naturally show no mercy after this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Father, what Feng Chen said is true."
"..."
"Your subject also knows that the carriage escorting Lord Pei will pass through that section of road today. We were at that restaurant, and we never thought of doing anything. We just wanted to take a look from afar."
"..."
Yuwen Yuan didn't look at her, seemingly unwilling to speak to her or involve his daughter-in-law in these cases.
He looked at Yuwen Ye: "The assassin who tried to kill Pei Xingyuan, and his escape this time, are they really unrelated to you?"
Yuwen Ye raised his head to meet those tiger-like eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny, and solemnly said, "Your Majesty is wise. The people who were escorting the prisoners and the people from the Ministry of Justice have surely reported that Pei Xingyuan was ambushed and killed on the road and that he was rescued. May I ask Your Majesty, with my ability to mobilize troops, if I really wanted to hijack the prison cart and kill prisoners, would I need to make such a big fuss and would there be so many mistakes?"
Yuwen Yuan frowned but remained silent.
Yuwen Ye said, "If I really want to do such a thing, firstly, I will definitely not go to the scene myself."
"..."
"Secondly, even if I arrive, I won't easily let anyone discover my whereabouts."
"..."
"Third, and most importantly, I will absolutely not bring Ruyi along, so as not to involve her in this matter."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Yuwen Yuan's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
The intense suspicion that filled his deep eyes gradually dissipated. He slowly sat up straight, even leaning his back against the soft cushion behind him. This action immediately made Shang Ruyi realize that his questioning, suspicion, and pressure just now seemed to be nothing more than a test.
Clearly, he could have thought of these points even without Yuwen Ye saying so.
However, Yuwen Ye shouldn't have been there, so he couldn't help but ask; otherwise, it would have been absurd.
At this moment, his breathing gradually calmed down, and then he said, "Get up."
The couple breathed a sigh of relief. Yuwen Ye immediately reached out to help Shang Ruyi up, and the two of them stood up together. Yuwen Yuan then said to the outside, "Come in, both of you."
Immediately, Eunuch Yu pushed open the doors of Xuanzheng Hall once again, and the Minister of Justice, the Vice Minister, and the Chief Clerk, along with Su Qinglan, all walked in.
Shang Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Just now, before Yuwen Yuan asked them those questions, he had driven all of them out, just so they wouldn't see how the emperor interrogated the Prince of Qin, and even less so so they wouldn't see the conflict between father and son. Otherwise, if it were really an interrogation, there should have been witnesses, insiders, or even jurors present.
Therefore, no matter how much suspicion or doubt he had, he still protected Yuwen Ye in the end.
Once everyone had settled down, Yuwen Yuan pointed at Yan Shaoxuan and said, "Tell the Prince of Qin what happened today."
Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.
They have all witnessed what happened today, so why do we need a Minister of Justice who was completely absent to speak?
What's even stranger is that the people escorting Pei Xingyuan today were sent by the palace. Logically speaking, once the carriage leaves the prison gate, it has nothing to do with the Ministry of Justice. Why did they all arrive at Xuanzheng Hall together?
Just as the two were wondering about this, Yan Shaoxuan said to Yuwen Ye, "Your Highness Prince Qin, after Young Master Pei was escorted away, someone tried to break into the Ministry of Justice prison."
"What!?"
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