jdhmnovel Chapter 515 Interrogation
Chapter 515 Interrogation
The commander of the Imperial Guards immediately accepted the order, turned around, and strode out of the hall.
The atmosphere inside the hall became even more oppressive. Those officials who were not implicated breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not relax.
His Majesty's swift and decisive actions today have made it clear to them that anyone who dares to betray Cang Ling will face certain death.
Shi Wanxia leaned back in her chair, looking at the scene before her, and the pain in her chest eased slightly.
She turned to look at Choi Ji-ho on the soft couch and saw him looking at her with worry in his eyes. She forced a smile, shook her head gently, and indicated that she was alright.
Looking at her pale face, Cui Zhihao felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he knew that this was not the time for sentimentality. All he could do was hold her hand tightly and try to give her some strength.
Shen Yanzhou stood aside, watching his father finish dealing with the officials who had colluded with the traitors. He stepped forward and said, "Father, Prince Rongyang will definitely make some moves in the prison. I suggest that we immediately interrogate Prince Rongyang's accomplices and make them reveal the whereabouts of all the remaining members, so as not to delay and cause any unforeseen complications."
Shen Yuxi nodded, his eyes flashing even more fiercely: "Fine! I order you to take men and interrogate him personally! I want to see what he has to say!"
He stood up, the hem of his dragon robe sweeping across the ground with a rustling sound: "Shi Wanxia, Cui Zhihao, Lin Yiyu, you should go to the side hall to heal your injuries first. We will discuss the follow-up matters with you after the Crown Prince has finished his investigation."
"Prime Minister Cui, Grand Tutor Lin, Minister of War Zhao Xun, please stay. I would like to hear your opinions on the important military and political affairs of the Northern Border."
"Yes!" Shen Yanzhou accepted the order.
Physician Li hurriedly stepped forward and gave Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao several acupuncture needles to relieve their pain. He also changed the dressing on Lin Yiyu's wound before having the palace maids and eunuchs carry the soft couch back to the side hall.
As she walked out of the Golden Palace, the sun had already set, its golden rays casting a warm glow on the palace walls, but they couldn't penetrate the worries in Shi Wanxia's heart.
She looked at Choi Ji-ho on the soft couch and asked softly, "Does your arm still hurt? Has the poison spread?"
Choi Ji-ho shook his head and tightened his grip on her hand: "It doesn't hurt anymore. With you here, I don't feel any pain."
There was nothing he could say now, he could only try to reassure her. But the excruciating pain in his arm and the throbbing pain from the toxins in his body reminded him that this crisis was far from over.
Lin Yiyu leaned against the guards, looking at their tightly clasped hands, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "Don't worry, His Majesty has ordered His Highness the Crown Prince to personally interrogate the accomplices of the Prince of Rongyang. He will surely get results."
"Once we've dealt with these traitors, we can finally recover properly. Then, Brother Cui, you'll have to take Sister Shi to Jiangnan to see the peach blossoms."
Shi Wanxia's cheeks flushed slightly, and Cui Zhihao smiled, the weariness in his eyes fading somewhat.
But they all knew that this was just self-comfort.
Prince Rongyang has been operating for many years, and his hidden agents are certainly not limited to those on the palace road. Even if some have been apprehended, there are still some who have slipped through the net.
Moreover, although those powerful families and clans were temporarily intimidated, they were certainly not convinced and might even collude with the remnants of Rongyang King's faction to cause them trouble.
By the time they returned to the side hall, it was already dark.
A palace maid brought over a bowl of decocted detoxifying medicine, dark in color and still steaming.
Choi Ji-ho looked at the medicine bowl and frowned.
He had always been afraid of bitterness, but seeing Shi Wanxia's worried eyes, he still took the medicine bowl and drank it down in one gulp.
The bitter taste of the medicine spread in his mouth, and Cui Zhihao couldn't help but frown. Shi Wanxia quickly took out a candied fruit from her bosom and held it to his lips: "Hold it in your mouth, and it won't be bitter."
Choi Ji-ho held the candied fruit in his mouth, the sweetness slowly spreading and overpowering the bitterness of the medicine, making him feel sweet inside.
He held Shi Wanxia's hand and said softly, "Wanwan, after this is over, I want to go back to Chuzhou with you."
Shi Wanxia nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again: "Okay...but..."
She hesitated to speak, but how could Choi Ji-ho not know?
"Are you worried that His Majesty has other plans? Don't worry, from now on, no matter what, I will always be by your side!"
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Shen Yanzhou's guards rushed in, their faces panicked: "Lord Shi! Lord Cui! Something terrible has happened! His Highness the Crown Prince has been attacked in the imperial prison!"
Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and worry in each other's eyes.
Cui Zhihao sat up abruptly, ignoring the sharp pain in his arm, and asked urgently, "What happened? How could there be an assassin in the imperial prison? How is His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The guard swallowed hard, his voice trembling: "The assassin was a jailer in the imperial prison. He had long been bribed by Prince Rongyang and made his move while His Highness the Crown Prince was interrogating Prince Rongyang."
"Fortunately, the guards reacted quickly and blocked the assassin, but His Highness the Crown Prince was still slashed on the arm, and the Minister of Justice who was traveling with him was also pushed by the assassin and crashed into a pillar."
A sharp pain shot through Shi Wanxia's chest, and she couldn't help but cough, staining her handkerchief with blood again.
Cui Zhihao quickly supported her, his eyes filled with anxiety: "Wanwan! Don't get agitated! His Highness the Crown Prince only suffered minor injuries, don't worry."
But he knew in his heart that this was just a consolation—even the jailers in the imperial prison had been bribed, and the power of the Prince of Rongyang was far greater than they had imagined. They didn't know how many more dangers awaited them next.
As night deepened, the candlelight in the side hall flickered, illuminating the two people's pale faces.
Cui Zhihao had not yet been detoxified, and his left arm was so weak that he could barely hold a bowl. Yet, upon hearing the news of Shen Yanzhou's attack, he insisted on getting up to go to the prison.
Shi Wanxia held him down tightly, her voice trembling with pain in her chest: "Are you crazy? What good will it do you go now? The poison in your arm hasn't been cleared yet, and you break out in a cold sweat after just a few steps. Going there will only make things worse!"
Cui Zhihao looked at her reddened eyes, her fingers gripping the bedsheet tightly until her knuckles turned white: "But His Highness the Crown Prince is injured, there must be a traitor in the Imperial Prison, I can't just watch him get into trouble!"
He was filled with guilt—if he, Shi Wanxia, and Lin Yiyu hadn't become the targets of Prince Rongyang, His Highness the Crown Prince wouldn't have been distracted while protecting them, and they wouldn't have been attacked in the prison.
"I go."
Shi Wanxia suddenly spoke. She slowly stood up, holding onto the edge of the couch. The pain in her chest made her vision blur, but she still gritted her teeth and spoke.
"I'm going to the imperial prison to check on things."
"You wait here. Physician Li said you must drink the second bowl of detoxifying soup tonight and you cannot leave the side hall."
"no!"
Cui Zhihao panicked and tried to reach out to pull her, but he forgot about the injury on his left arm. When he pulled, he gasped in pain.
"Your chest wound is more serious than mine, how can you go to the Heavenly Prison? It's too dangerous there!"
"We have to go, even if it's dangerous,"
Shi Wanxia's eyes were firm. She walked to the dressing table and took out a set of black night clothes from the drawer.
"I'll go in black clothes and sneak around to check things out; no one will notice."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If I encounter any danger, I'll come back immediately."
Lin Yiyu leaned against the tatami mat next door and heard their argument. He forced himself to sit up and said, "Stop arguing, I'll go."
“My injuries are less severe than yours. Although I can’t use my right arm, I can still fight with my left hand. Besides, I’m familiar with the layout of the prison; I’ve been there a few times before when investigating cases.”