Ye Cunjin was taken aback when he saw her like this, but considering that Changxi had already entered Guanju Courtyard, and that Chunxia and the other maid had tried their best to stop them from entering, there should be no surprises.
Ye Qingxue's current composure was merely a facade.
Ye Cunjin said sternly, "Lord Cui has received news that Guanju Courtyard is harboring criminals from the Eastern Palace. He has come here personally on the Emperor's orders to arrest them. Please, Sister Qingxue, hand over the criminals. Otherwise, once Lord Cui finds the criminals, everyone in Guanju Courtyard will be doomed!"
Cui Shao bowed to Ye Qingxue and said, "Miss Ye, please forgive me!"
Ye Qingxue slowly stood up, her expression calm and composed, even with a hint of sarcasm on her lips: "I grew up in the countryside and am very timid. How could I dare to harbor a criminal from the Eastern Palace?"
Ye Cunjin's lips twitched violently. Her ruthless and vicious actions, as swift as a knife, showed no cowardice whatsoever. If this was considered cowardly, then there would be no one in the world who dared to act.
He said coldly, "Whether or not we are harboring someone, let Lord Cui search the place and we'll know!"
Cui Shao raised his hand, about to signal the guards behind him to come forward and search, when Ye Qingxue suddenly shouted sharply: "Wait!"
She met Ye Cunjin's fierce gaze and Cui Shao's cold stare, and asked, "If you can't find any criminals from the Eastern Palace here, what will you do?"
“I am just a helpless and vulnerable woman. If you allow me to search my courtyard and accuse me of harboring criminals, how am I supposed to live in the capital? What man would dare to marry me?”
Cui Shao said, "If no criminals from the Eastern Palace are found in Miss Ye's possession, then Miss Ye's innocence can naturally be restored!"
Ye Qingxue: "Who can prove my innocence? From now on, people will only say that my yard was searched!"
Ye Cunjin sneered. Ye Qingxue was indeed guilty and dared not order a search, but today he had to put Ye Qingxue to death.
Although she only has eight days left to live, who knows what she might do in those eight days, given how ruthless she is!
If we can kill her today, we must not let her live to see tomorrow!
"I, as the eldest brother, will be your witness!"
Ye Qingxue said, "Can you kneel down and apologize to me to prove my innocence?"
Ye Cunjin narrowed his eyes. He wanted him to kneel and apologize? What a pipe dream Ye Qingxue was having!
However, at that moment, he only wanted to quickly convict Ye Qingxue and kill her as soon as possible, so he didn't want to get involved with her and said directly:
"For the sake of your innocence, what's so difficult about your elder brother kneeling down and apologizing? I agree!"
Ye Qingxue immediately gestured for him to enter: "Lord Cui, please!"
The guards behind Cui Shao surged in from outside the door like a tide, searching every room and every corner of the courtyard, almost inch by inch.
Ye Cunjin and Cui Shao did not act immediately, but instead surveyed the entire main hall with their eyes.
Suddenly, Ye Cunjin's gaze fell on the screen. He strode forward, bent down, touched the ground with his fingers, felt small particles, crushed them with his fingertips, and found that they were congealed and blackened blood.
There seemed to be a faint smell of blood in the air. Ye Cunjin wondered if Changxi had been killed and Ye Qingxue had hidden his body.
It doesn't matter, as long as we find Changxi, whether he's alive or dead, it won't make much of a difference.
“Lord Cui, I found bloodstains here,” Ye Cunjin said immediately. Cui Shao strode up to him and saw the bloodstains that had been crushed between his fingertips.
Ye Cunjin looked down and noticed bloodstains several steps away. Although they had been carefully concealed, time was probably too short to completely hide them.
Following the trail of blood, they found the small hut. The door was closed. The two men stood at the door, exchanged a glance, and both guessed that the criminal from the Eastern Palace might be inside.
Upon arriving here, they noticed that the smell of blood was even stronger.
The two exchanged a glance, and Cui Shao placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
Ye Cunjin was already prepared to break down the door.
But at that moment, Ye Qingxue stepped forward and said, "You can't go in. My family member is inside. He's injured and needs to rest."
Ye Cunjin gave her a cold look. What nonsense about relatives recuperating inside!
Ye Qingxue didn't think that by saying that, he and Cui Shao wouldn't barge in, did she?
The person inside must be Changxi. He must have been killed by Ye Qingxue. As long as we go in, find Changxi, and confirm that he is the criminal from the Eastern Palace, Ye Qingxue will be taken away by Cui Shao. This time, no matter how much the emperor protects Ye Qingxue, he will not be able to save her life.
“I had no idea that any of your relatives were injured, Qingxue. Logically speaking, your relatives are also my relatives. If any of your relatives were injured, I, as the elder brother, should go in and check on them.”
As Ye Cunjin spoke the last few words, his tone was full of ruthlessness. Before he could finish speaking, he turned to the side and rammed the door open with his arm. Cui Shao gripped the hilt of his sword and rushed in.
The small room had only one small window, and even during the day, it was dark inside. The smell of blood was so strong that it was pungent.
On the bed in the corner of the room, the blanket was slightly raised, and the person lying on the bed had their back to the door. Even with such a commotion, they did not turn around.
Ye Cunjin was certain that the man was Changxi. He strode over, pulled back the blanket covering the man, and placed his hand on his shoulder—
He thought it was a dead person, but the other person's shoulder was warm. Before he could think any further, he heard Ye Qingxue shout urgently, "Don't touch him!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cunjin forcibly turned the other person's body around.
Cui Shao's longsword was already drawn, pointed at the person on the bed, but the next moment Ye Cunjin exclaimed in surprise: "How come it's you!"
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