Lord Liu was indeed quite polite to her, and even had a stool brought for her: "Please sit down, Madam Chi."
"Thank you, sir." She sat down, calmly raising her eyes. "Is there anything you wish to ask, sir?"
Lord Liu had seen all sorts of women in his life, but Shen Tangning was truly different. She was the first woman he had ever met who remained so calm even in a place like this.
She possessed a composure that set her apart from ordinary women; she seemed more like a concubine in the palace, exuding a noble air unique to those in positions of power.
Considering the relationship between the other party and the Empress, it doesn't seem so surprising.
Composing himself, he softened his tone and said, "Mrs. Chi, there's no need to be nervous. It's just a routine question. Just answer truthfully."
She nodded, and the interrogation officially began.
"What is the relationship between the young mistress and the eldest princess?"
Shen Tangning remained composed: "We've met a few times, and the Princess seems to have a good impression of me, but as for the closeness of our relationship..." She smiled slightly, "How could Your Highness possibly be someone I could curry favor with?"
She did not hide this fact, and her attitude was almost frank.
To avoid attracting attention, she and the eldest princess always met in private and rarely interacted publicly.
Lord Liu nodded: "What about the Seventh Princess of Qi?"
She looked surprised for a moment, and although she found it strange, she still told the truth: "I have even less interaction with the Seventh Princess. I have only met her twice, once at a court banquet and the other time after the Second Prince's death."
Lord Liu paused, seemingly puzzled.
She explained, “At that time, the Seventh Princess was traumatized, making the interrogation difficult. Since she had a good impression of me, and I am a woman, my husband suggested that I act as an intermediary.”
Lord Liu suddenly realized what was going on and changed the subject: "I heard that during the investigation into the death of the second prince of Qi, the eldest princess visited the post station and spent some time alone with the seventh princess."
Shen Tangning opened her eyes wide, smiled and shook her head: "I was also there, but the Princess was specially invited to the interrogation. The three of us just watched a play together."
Lord Liu pondered for a moment and nodded, while the person next to him scribbled on a piece of paper.
After asking the questions, he stood up, looking somewhat troubled: "The higher-ups are taking this case very seriously. We may need to ask Mrs. Chi to stay here a little longer. Please feel free to make any requests."
Shen Tangning expressed her understanding: "Please do as you wish, sir."
Lord Liu turned and left the cell. The smile in her eyes faded, and she lowered her gaze to stare at the flickering firelight on the wall, a shadow falling over her beautiful face.
...
Separated by only a wall, Lord Liu sighed:
"The Vice Minister also heard the questioning just now, and I think there is nothing wrong with Madam Chi."
Someone stood in front of the wall, their expression inscrutable.
He turned around and looked at me with a deep gaze. Who else could it be but Chi Jingyu?
A slight smile played on his lips as he spoke calmly, "Lord Liu is aware of how much His Majesty values this case. You can tell me that, and use it to appease His Majesty later, right?"
Lord Liu looked embarrassed and said dryly, "This, that's natural. So, what does the Vice Minister mean?"
“Interrogation is all about mentality; it’s about who can’t take it anymore.” He paused slightly, a deep light flashing in his eyes. “She’s a woman, and she’s never had anything like this before. She can’t compare to those vicious criminals. There’s always a time when she can’t take it.”
Lord Liu hesitated slightly: "But Madam Chi is not a criminal after all. Is it really appropriate to keep her locked up like this?"
Chi Jingyu tilted his head to look at him: "You've been involved in such a serious case of treason and collusion with the enemy. Do you think this isn't a big deal, Lord Liu?"
Lord Liu's face stiffened, and he lowered his head awkwardly: "This... then we'll do as the Vice Minister says."
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