Chapter 544: Questioning
The Queen Mother had been keeping an eye on Jingren Palace and knew about any movement, so Lu Xiang spent the whole afternoon chatting with different concubines, and finally acted out a "broken leg" act with Jingpin. With this reason, everyone knew that she couldn't walk and had to stay in Jingren Palace to recuperate. In fact, Queen Song asked Chu Jinyan to find Emperor Chengde and found an excuse to let Xiao Liangzi take people out of the palace to do business.
The constable was called Hu San. He walked in front and would occasionally look back at Lu Xiang out of curiosity. Ah Man saw him always looking at her young lady and couldn't help but bare her teeth at him: "If you look at me again, I'll dig your eyes out."
Hu San was startled and choked, and quickly looked away awkwardly.
"Which one does Miss Third want to see first?" he asked.
Lu Xiang said: "Let's meet together."
Hu San was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded respectfully.
Lord Zuo kept him because he trusted him, and Hu San also knew the purpose of Lu Xiang coming to the Ministry of Justice. Looking at the calm-looking girl in front of him, he was somewhat surprised, and at the same time curious about what means she would use to pry open the two people's mouths.
Although they didn't dare to use severe torture, the Ministry of Justice had many torturous punishments. However, the two palace maids were indeed tough. They fainted from the pain several times, but they didn't say a word.
Hu San led Lu Xiang to a slightly cleaner room, similar to where the yamen runners rested.
The room is simple, with just a table and chairs.
Soon, Hu San ordered his men to bring Xique and Yingxue over. The two had been whipped, their clothes were torn, and they looked very miserable, but they did not look like they were dying.
"This servant has met Miss Lu."
The two men bowed their heads and knelt down to salute.
Lu Xiang glanced at Ah Man, who understood and immediately retreated with Hu San.
She sat on the bench, tapping the table lightly with her slender fingers, one tap after another. The sound was particularly clear in the quiet room, and Xique and Yingxue's hearts seemed to be tapped as well.
Lu Xiang did not say anything. After the two of them finished their greetings, they knelt on the ground, lowered their heads and looked at each other, giving each other a firm look.
It was obvious what Miss Lu San wanted to do when she showed up here, and they had to hold on.
With the Empress Dowager interfering, they won't stay in the Ministry of Justice for long.
"If you confess the truth, the Queen can let you die quickly and leave your bodies intact." Lu Xiang said.
"I know nothing. Even if the Queen beats me to death, I can't complain." Yingxue said.
Xi Que immediately spoke up: "Whatever the Thirteenth Princess tells me to do, I will do it. I don't know anything else."
The two of them lowered their eyebrows and looked submissive, with a hint of innocence in their voices.
It is said that it is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. Who would want to die when there is a chance to survive?
Lu Xiang curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing a chilling smile.
"I don't know..." She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, and the faint tone made Luo Yingxue and Xique's scalps tighten in their ears: "It doesn't matter, maybe you will know in a while."
The two of them subconsciously looked up at Lu Xiang.
What does Miss Lu San mean by this?
Wasn't her purpose in coming here to interrogate them?
Just when the two were confused, a woman's scream and a man's chaotic laughter suddenly came from the room next door.
"What do you think Captain Hu means by this? Is he really going to let us have some fun or is he setting a trap for us to fall into?"
"It's a trap, I haven't had a taste of a woman in two years, I'm not afraid even if it's a huge trap today."
"This little girl looks a bit old."
"You are so picky when you have something to eat. Do you think I will find you a pretty young lady?"
"That's true. At least he looks decent."
"Stop talking nonsense, who will go first?"
"Haha, all of you make way, I'll go first."
"Okay, okay, you go first, let's go out first, Lao Gui, hurry up, so many brothers are waiting."
"You are the only one who has so much trouble. Why are you being so pretentious in this shabby place? Just wait and watch..."
…
Yingxue and Xique's faces gradually turned pale amid the noise and chatter of the crowd.
Although they did not see what was happening next door, they could vaguely hear the woman's screams and the men's teasing words. The two looked at each other and saw fear and anxiety in each other's eyes.
Just as he was thinking about it, Lu Xiang's cold voice sounded above his head.
"The prison in the Ministry of Justice is full of serious criminals, most of whom are hot-blooded men. That woman is a death row inmate. She is only 25 years old this year. She is not as beautiful as a flower, but she is not old either. In just half a year, she has been tortured in prison and has become thinner and thinner. You think you can survive after enduring the punishment, but you don't know that this kind of life worse than death is what makes people despair."
The crying and screaming from next door irritated their ears.
The woman's scream was not scary enough. What was scary was the heavy gasps mixed with this desperate voice...
The two men knelt in front of Lu Xiang, biting their lips tightly for fear of making any sound. What did this mean? Neither of them was stupid.
Yingxue and Xique's bodies were trembling slightly, and they tried to remain calm.
"Want to know what crime she committed?"
The two of them shouted in their hearts: No, we don’t want to know.
"It is said that she is the daughter of a local prefect. She was raised by people and had the final say. She lost herself in the countless praises and could not stand others being prettier than her. So she disfigured and killed anyone she disliked. Her methods were cruel. Of course, there were also those she did not kill, but were sent to brothels. They were too proud to bear the humiliation and died to maintain their innocence. There were also those who lived in shame. Oh, they were just like you who thought it was better to live in rottenness than to die. But in the end, they did not survive. Who could stand receiving customers day and night... The matter became a big deal in her husband's family, and even her father, the prefect, could not protect her. She was sentenced to death and sent to the Ministry of Justice last year. She is waiting to be beheaded after the autumn trial today."
Lu Xiang's voice was not loud, as gentle as the spring breeze in March, but it was like a series of thunder that struck Xique and Yingxue's brains, making their minds buzzing and leaving only a blank.
"Miss... Miss..."
The sparrow called out with trembling lips, and it was unclear whether it was asking for mercy or saying something else. It crawled on the ground, shaking like a sieve.
"Hush!" Lu Xiang put her finger between her lips and made a gesture to keep quiet. Her beautiful face was full of coldness. "Don't worry, the show has just begun. The daughter of an official has committed a capital crime and still cannot escape death. How much nobler are you than her? Death is still the most relieved thing for her now. Guess how many days she can hold on?"
"Look at how cute you are. I'm afraid those men next door will go crazy like wolves when they see you..."
Yingxue looked at Lu Xiang angrily with a pale face: "Miss Third, you humiliate me like this, and act so viciously. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
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