Chapter 186: The Witnesses
Translator: Antonia
Su Qi kept standing outside the iron gate, guarding.
There were indeed two groups of suspicious people showing up in the midnight, and, seeing he was guarding there like a pillar, one group chose to give up and leave and the other lurked around.
The lurking group hid in the dark not far from the prison. Two head men whispered.
“Changping, the imperial jail is closely guarded. It seems difficult to rescue lady. We’re a little late…” The voice was pleasant. It was a she.
“Don’t worry, Yuxuan. The Founder has made great contribution to the country. The Emperor values his fame and brags about how he wise and diligent he is, how much he loves his people. If he sentenced Miss. Mo to death, he would announce to the world instead of putting her in jail without a reason. Besides, even if Miss. Mo was sentenced to death, we could still rescue her from the execution ground…” This voice was low, with the wise of a male.
“The Founder has treats our two clans so graciously. If I can’t protect Miss. Mo, I won’t have the face to go back. I’ll take my own life…”
Silent for a while, the man said, “I’ll do the same with you…”
*
It was late, but the lights in master Xie’s room were still on. The first group of people flashed into the Xie mansion and entered the room.
“Master, Su Qi is guarding outside the jail. No matter who wants to get in, there must be a fight against him. I didn’t dare to alert him, so we come back.”
“Well, I see. You may leave.”
After those people left, master Xie hit the ceiling, patting on the table and standing up, “Old Su, your family has taken most of the military power, and now you should want to take away my share!” He had been just a little restless, and his original plan was to double check whether the Empress’s scheme succeeded or not, in order to make sure things went on smoothly tomorrow at court.
Now, to see it this way, tomorrow they would have a lively discussion at court.
Raging, he smiled hideously, “However, pity that the person you’re protecting is a withered flower… It’s also good to see your disappointed face tomorrow… How playful a Su son is, he won’t take others’ leftover…”
**
Morning mist filled the air, and the night dew was yet to fall. There was already a touch of redness in the east. It was a new day. Su Qi peeked at the redness and left the jail. He needed to go to court and wait for Mo Qianxue there, before which, he should meet his brother and say something nice.
The sky was getting brighter, yet, the iron door was shut up. It was still dim inside the special room.
Mo Qianxue sat sideways on the bed, closing her eyes for resting. She was waiting for the Emperor’s summoning, for a battle fiercer than one with real sharp swords.
Nanny Mo stayed next to her, gazing silently. Now lady was a completely different person from the previous weak girl. Hardships made a great person. Having suffered so much, lady had really changed a lot.
The repeated blows not only didn’t defeat lady, but instead stimulated endless fight spirit in her. Such a lady had a special quality which pulled her together even before a landslide and gave people power to stay calm with her. Only a lady like this deserved to be the daughter of Mo Tianfang!
She always had a secret, which was the answer to why she didn’t get married, a secret that no one would ever know.
For her whole life, she only wanted to stay with madam in the Founder mansion without going to anywhere. There was only one reason—she wanted to stay with madam for the Founder, even if she could only take a glance at him from afar, even if he had never given her a look.
She never wanted more or believed she deserved more. It was her greatest happiness as long as she could stay with madam and him.
However… Hence, she would try with her life to protect lady, forever.
When she woke up from her thoughts, her face was still tough but eyes softened a lot.
In this situation, lady should spend the whole night practicing kungfu without sleep.
In lady’s words, the bed had been slept in by heaven-knew-who. It was okay to sit on it, but she would never sleep in. Hence, she needed to do something. Hence, she sat in meditation and adjusted her internal qi for the whole night.
Lady was really a talent in this aspect. Only within one night, her internal qi was obviously much longer and thinner, better than others’ one-year-practice.
With a ‘squeak’, the iron door was open.
*
“The Emperor requests Miss. Mo’s presence…”
It wasn’t her first time to go to the Jinluan Palace, in which the officials and officers stood on two sides. The difference was that there were already three people kneeling there. The air was much tenser than last time.
Who were they? Mo Qianxue knew vague. The thin man must be that scholar, and the other two must be the witnesses he found.
She was afraid at this moment, they already told the story again, adding highly colored details.
It seemed that the Empress was using the ‘first impression’ strategy to throw dirt at her beforehand, so that people already looked down upon her. Hence, nobody would speak for her.
From the corners of her eyes, she looked around and didn’t find Ning Shaoqing. He wasn’t here! She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. But luckily, she never wanted to completely count on him.
Besides disappointment, she was more worried. He wouldn’t leave her alone. It must be the news never reaching to him. Otherwise, yesterday, he wouldn’t let her stay in jail, even if she had a follow-up plan. He must be in some tricky trouble.
Disappointment and worry flashed in her mind, and then she gathered herself. She would be fucked up if she continued to think other things at this moment.
Calm down, Mo Qianxue stepped forward and stopped in front of those three people, squarely curtsying to the Emperor, “Long live your majesty…”
The Emperor didn’t let her get up but snorted a little, “Shameless thing.”
However, this snort didn’t scare Mo Qianxue at all, but freaked out the three people behind her.
Since the Emperor didn’t let her up, Mo Qianxue could only reply, kneeling head down on the ground, “Please don’t be angry, your majesty.”
“How can I not be angry?”
Three thousand people suffer when the Emperor gets angry. In the palace, except for sound of breathing, there were merely pounding hearts. As for the three people behind her, even their teeth were trembling from fear.
Although Mo Qianxue was kneeling on the ground, her voice was peaceful, “Your majesty, I’m wronged…”
The Emperor leaned forward aggressively, “You’re wronged? There are both evidence and witnesses. Why are you wronged?”
Mo Qianxue was clever and didn’t respond immediately. Sometimes, it would be better to reduce her presence, because when he was in rage, whatever she said would be wrong. If so, she’d better to save her energy.
A part of the Emperor’s fake anger turned into real rage, when he found his fist was into a cloud of cotton, “You’ve returned for only a few days, and stirred a serious of troubles. How dare you to claim you’re wronged! You think I’m too not busy? Look up at me. Let me see who gives you the courage!”
Mo Qianxue raised her head, when a red light ball flew over.
Mo Qianxue’s face didn’t change, but chill glistened in her eyes. It seemed the Emperor was addicted to hitting her forehead since last time.
The Emperor was still that emperor, but she wasn’t that Mo Qianxue who just came back with nothing to rely on.
She had practiced internal strength and was much quicker than before. Last time when she was here, she indeed had killed a doze riots. Although she eloquently defended herself, the murder did challenge the imperial authority, which triggered his intention of killing.
This time, she didn’t kneel still, but moved slightly, as if she didn’t dare to look at him in the eye. She moved her head downward slightly, and arched her waist. As the body lowered, that light ball flew over above her head.
Su Qi had gather inner strength and put it back to the elixir field as the red memorial fell on the ground. His heart also fell back to safe land. But his palms turned into fists which clenched tighter and tighter. He had promised to protect her!
She was in a good spirit, but her obvious bloodshot eyes suggested no sleep last night.
Why was she always so stubborn and made him loved her and felt helpless at the same time?
The Emperor wasn’t a professional martial artist. Seeing Mo Qianxue’s manner was less tough and waist less straight, he was complacent and believed he missed it.
As he felt good, his tone softened, “Supposedly, things about a woman’s chastity should be presided by the Empress, but you’re Tianfang’s only daughter. Your poor father died at a young age…”
He said with sorrow and deep emotion. Yet, the tone turned suddenly, “Although I mean to be bias towards you, there are laws and rules. Some impeach you of deceiving the Emperor, so I must take care of the case.” The Emperor had master the smooth shuffle between laws and relationship for many years.
Mo Qianxue didn’t appreciate it. His tricks were nothing but a must to be an emperor at court.
“You’re wise, your majesty!” To eulogize him first.
She was kneeling, but her waist was upright, giving her the air of confidence, “I don’t dare to let your majesty down. I want to know who are impeaching me of deceiving the Emperor? Is there evidence and witnesses? I’d like to confront them now.”
The Emperor didn’t say much, eyes sweeping to the three people kneeling behind Mo Qianxue, pretending to be angry, “Do you know them?”
Mo Qianxue turned around. Among the three, the one in black was the scholar popping out of nowhere yesterday, but the other two surprised her.
They were Zhao Ergouo and sister Zhao. The Xie family was indeed capable and found these two stupid fools when it couldn’t get other witnesses.