She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 161: Tonight, the Emperor Commits a Murder that Strikes at the Heart

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Tonight, the Emperor Commits a Murder that Strikes at the Heart

Late at night, the stillness was unbroken by a breeze, while the air was saturated with restless heatwaves.

Just walking this stretch of road had made Yan Wanqing so hot she was sweating profusely.

At this moment, every organ inside her was twisted with pain, yet her face couldn’t betray any emotion.

It was with great difficulty that she was finally told the eunuch went in to report, and she was asked to wait outside for a while longer.

Yan Wanqing had no choice but to stand outside the hall and wait.

After waiting for half an hour, her undergarment was completely soaked through.

Leaning on the medicine Xiaoliu had given her to numb the wound’s pain, she wondered if she could have continued standing without it.

"Commandery Princess, His Majesty summons you inside," the little eunuch came out and said to Yan Wanqing.

Yan Wanqing nodded at him, ascended the steps, and walked into the grand hall.

There she saw the Emperor, sitting solemnly in his high seat, with no sign of Empress Zhang Lanyi.

The person kneeling on the ground, covered in blood, was recognizable to her as Wa Chengnan.

The Prince, looking frail, was seated in a chair beside him, with Li Chengyuan, wearing a worried expression, standing by his side.

Quite the scene.

But she had no idea why the Emperor had summoned her.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live the Emperor," said Yan Wanqing, bowing her head without kneeling, in a deep voice.

The Emperor nodded, "Mmm. Anping is here."

"Your Majesty has urgently summoned me, is there a matter of importance?" Yan Wanqing asked with a puzzled look.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed into a slit, "Tonight, my Ironclad Army apprehended a few individuals with suspicious movements. This man was previously a retainer to the Crown Prince and has now defected to the seventh Prince. This is his testimony. Anping, you always have the best ideas. Help me see, has he lied."

The testimony was presented by the eunuch with both hands and placed in front of Yan Wanqing.

Yan Wanqing took it with both hands. It described Wa Chengnan’s activities that night, with blots of blood here and there, ending with a vivid bloody handprint.

It appeared that Wa Chengnan had suffered considerably during this time.

The seventh Prince, who had evidently just come to his senses, sat with his head bowed in an uncomfortable silence, pondering what was occurring. Only Li Chengyuan looked indignantly at Wa Chengnan kneeling on the ground, her expression filled with righteous anger.

The Emperor sat in his high seat, silent, his expression as inscrutable as ever.

Yan Wanqing quickly took in everyone’s expressions and already had a rough estimate in her mind.

Wa Chengnan’s testimony had clearly accounted for the night’s events; he had planned to directly surround the Emperor’s sleeping quarters with his men. However, the Emperor, ever so cunning with age, had sensed something amiss ahead of time and replaced the nearby Imperial Forest Army with his own Ironclad Army. That’s why Wa Chengnan had not acted that night, as the person who was supposed to signal him had already been killed by the Ironclad Army.

The one thing not clearly stated was whom he was following orders from.

Wa Chengnan had been beaten within an inch of his life but still had not revealed his mastermind.

That must be the reason the seventh Prince was brought before the court on his bed today.

To kill a man, you must aim for his heart.

The Emperor wanted Xiao Hongshen to live in constant fear.

But what did any of this have to do with her?

A few hypotheses flashed through Yan Wanqing’s mind.

It shouldn’t be.

Her machinations were highly secretive, and moreover, she was quite certain that Chai You had already been dispatched far away by Piji.

Yet, at this moment, she couldn’t afford to be careless and would rather observe how things unfolded.

With these thoughts in mind, Yan Wanqing responded, "Your Majesty, according to the testimony, this man was indeed previously a retainer of the Crown Prince. Now having shifted allegiance to the seventh Prince, he has committed such a grave error. To say there is no one behind the scenes, nobody would believe that. His insistence on silence must mean that the mastermind behind him has either promised or threatened him."

"And according to you, what should we do? The Punishment Department has already exhausted their most severe tortures; of his ten fingers, only the little ones are left, yet he still won’t talk. I’ve run out of options, which is why I’ve summoned you. Back on the battlefield, you captured many spies, each of whom ended up obedient to you. Take a look and see if there’s a way," the Emperor said as he rubbed his temples. The eunuch at his side, perceptive to his needs, stepped forward to massage his head.

The Emperor sighed, "It’s getting late now, and the seventh son has also sustained severe injuries. If this person could be made to speak, everyone could return to rest earlier."

That’s what he said.

Yet Yan Wanqing clearly felt Xiao Hongshen, who was looking down all this time, suddenly glance at her.

That gaze was like that of a murderer’s, full of warning.

A sneer flashed across Wanqing’s eyes.

"Princess Anping is thankful for Your Majesty’s high regard; then let this person be handed over to Anping," she said to the Emperor.

The Emperor nodded, waved his hand to have the bloodied Wa Chengnan dragged up: "A room next door has been prepared for you. Be quick about it, I’m tired."

Yan Wanqing bowed her head, "Yes, Your Majesty won’t have to wait long." She turned to leave and just as she was about to step out, Li Chengyuan’s voice came from behind her.

"Your Majesty, this humble daughter has some knowledge about interrogation as well, may I also be granted permission to join Princess Anping—"

"Nonsense!" The Emperor scolded directly: "Women are never allowed to meddle in state affairs. Is this how your father taught you?!"

Li Chengyuan had never seen the Emperor in such a rage, her little face turned pale in fright, and she quickly knelt down on the ground.

But in her heart, she was still unconvinced: "Princess Anping is a woman as well, isn’t she?"

The Emperor stared at her intently: "Are you trying to argue with me?"

"Princess Yaochi dares not," Li Chengyuan dared not speak any longer.

At the doorway, Yan Wanqing’s lips curled slightly. She turned her face without any intention of avoiding and gave Li Chengyuan a look filled with ironic amusement, angering Li Chengyuan so much her eyes almost shot fire.

What she said wasn’t wrong.

How is Yan Wanqing not a woman?

Why did the Emperor have her conduct the interrogation of this annoying man?!

She was just a stepping stone on the seventh Prince’s road to ascension, why did she have to be so complacent.

Li Chengyuan was holding her breath with displeasure. The Emperor didn’t let her stand up either. It didn’t take long for her knees to begin hurting while kneeling, and she didn’t dare to speak out, inwardly she was full of complaints.

Seeking help with her eyes set on the seventh Prince, Li Chengyuan gave him a weak and soft smile.

Xiao Hongshen remembered the sight of Li Chengyuan standing in front of him alone earlier that night.

For some reason, his heart softened a bit.

He braced himself and spoke to the Emperor.

"Father, my wound is in unbearable pain, may Princess Yaochi be allowed to rise and change my dressing?"

Upon hearing Xiao Hongshen speak, the Emperor was silent for half an hour, then lifted his hand.

Seeing this, Li Chengyuan quickly got up and went to Xiao Hongshen’s side, changing his dressing with a nervous expression.

"Your Highness, if you find the pain unbearable later, speak to Princess Yaochi," she said.

Such trivial words echoed in the grand hall, and even before the Emperor, Xiao Hongshen still felt somewhat embarrassed, but he had no choice and still nodded his head.

In such a situation, he couldn’t care about these things.

All his thoughts were on the room next door.

He could only hope that Wa Chengnan knew what he should and shouldn’t say.

A cruel glint flickered in his eyes.

Should he say something he shouldn’t, and thereby implicate his clan.

Next door.

Yan Wanqing sat upright on a chair, even holding a cup of tea in her hand. She said to Wa Chengnan, who already looked neither human nor ghost,

"Would you like some tea?"

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