“Because this concerns the life and death of the Wen and Su families.”

Eh?

Upon hearing these words, the three father and sons of the Wen family were all stunned.

Completely confused.

Yet they also realized the matter didn’t seem simple.

The hall fell into silence. Old General Wen was the first to speak, asking: “This old man doesn’t quite understand Miss Ji’s meaning.”

Ji Yinshu spoke seriously, explaining: “We’ve already investigated everything thoroughly. The ones who struck to kill in Nansai and on the boat were people from the Zhan Jiu Si! And the one who ordered the Zhan Jiu Si… was Grand Tutor Yi. We witnessed this with our own eyes – not a single word is false! By rights, doing this brings Grand Tutor Yi no benefits whatsoever. It’s even excessively risky. One misstep would put him in a difficult position! Grand Tutor Yi is a clever man. He would never do something that brings him no benefit unless… he’s doing it for someone else. The real mastermind behind this – I believe Old General Wen can guess who it is.”

All three father and sons of the Wen family understood her words.

Extremely shocked!

Wen Che spoke: “The Emperor?”

This was an extremely serious matter.

Even more difficult to accept.

The Wen and Su families had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the court, working until death. How could the Emperor…

To make her words more credible, Ji Yinshu continued: “At Saixian Tower, in the same private room as Old General Wen, besides Marquis Kangding… there was also Grand Tutor Yi. If he had the intention, he absolutely could have taken the opportunity to poison you then.”

Following her words, Old General Wen suddenly thought back. His eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the events of that day: “At that time, a young servant from the tower brought wine and placed it directly on the table. This old man told him to take it back. The person who casually handed over the wine… was Grand Tutor Yi.”

With this, a trace of suspicion truly arose in Old General Wen’s heart.

However—

Wen Yu didn’t believe it: “Complete nonsense! Miss Ji, I trust your character and know you’re a good person, but you’re implicating the Emperor in this matter. Do you know this is a capital crime that could result in the execution of nine generations? Moreover, why would the Emperor do this?”

Before Ji Yinshu could respond, Wen Che spoke with a grave expression: “The Emperor wants us to kill each other, so he can eliminate the Wen and Su families’ power at court!”

Mutual destruction – such serious words!

“Brother, you don’t really believe this, do you?”

Wen Che didn’t respond to him. He looked at Ji Yinshu and asked: “Miss Ji, you’re telling us all this because you want us to save General Su, correct?”

Speaking plainly and directly, Ji Yinshu said: “Yes. Right now, the only people who can save Mister Su are you.”

Wen Che understood clearly. He looked at his father, calling out: “Father?”

Seeking Old General Wen’s opinion.

Old General Wen remained silent until now. It was truly because what Ji Yinshu had just said was somewhat hard to believe, yet it was also within expectations. The Wen and Su families’ power at court had been growing. Naturally the Emperor would be wary. Suppressing them from within was a matter of time. But he hadn’t expected it would be done through such means.

Seeing he hadn’t spoken for a long time, Ji Yinshu struck while the iron was hot: “I know you may not fully believe what I’ve said, but my words are true. Seeing is believing – I can stake everything on it. Old General Wen, I believe you’ve already made up your mind and can distinguish truth from falsehood. I hope you’ll extend your aid and rescue Mister Su.”

Old General Wen’s voice grew heavy. His hand on his knee clenched into a fist before he slowly said: “Since Miss Ji has spoken to this point, this old man will speak frankly. I truly didn’t want to use this matter to make things difficult for Su Ziluo. After all, I had a sworn brotherhood with his father. In the past, I also called him ‘worthy nephew!’ Precisely because I remember that old friendship, I didn’t report to the Emperor about him pursuing my son to kill him. Even more so, I couldn’t bear to see the Su family’s line end.”

With this explanation, Wen Yu finally understood.

No wonder his father hadn’t let him tell the Emperor about this matter before. So it was… because he remembered that old friendship.

Having said this, Old General Wen sighed and said helplessly: “But now… it’s too late.”

Ji Yinshu didn’t understand: “Why?”

“Among those who transported Prince Jing’an’s body back to Yanjing, there was a person named Yi Wei’an. Years ago, because he committed some error, he was sent to garrison Lingtang Commandery. His ambitions were shelved for many years. Finally, with the achievement of transporting Prince Jing’an’s body, he got to stay in Yanjing. But this person has great ambition and won’t settle for small gains! Somehow he learned that the assassins on the boat were sent by Su Ziluo. So he secretly reported it to the Emperor. After learning of this, the Emperor urgently summoned me into the palace last night to ask about this matter. Even though my heart was unwilling, ultimately I didn’t dare deceive the sovereign and conceal it. The Emperor flew into a rage. Now he not only wants to pursue the crime of Su Ziluo’s poisoning, but also wants to pursue the matter of assassinating and destroying Prince Jing’an’s body. Three major crimes – death is inevitable.”

Death is inevitable!

Ji Yinshu’s chest suddenly tightened: “But everything was manipulated by the Emperor behind the scenes.”

“Miss Ji, you still don’t understand this old man’s meaning. If, as you say, everything was deliberately planned by the Emperor, then… the Emperor intends to use these matters to kill Su Ziluo. No one can save him!”

His tone carried much helplessness.

Jingrong’s eyes narrowed tightly as he spoke: “But if General Su dies, the next one will be your Wen family!”

Several people’s gazes fell on him simultaneously.

Jingrong’s expression was grave as he continued: “To reverse the situation, there’s only one solution – the Wen and Su families must join forces!”

The hall once again fell into complete silence.

That oppressive atmosphere almost made it impossible for several people to breathe…

Even the sound of snowflakes falling outside could be heard crystal clear.

The fierce cold wind also blew harder and harder!

After who knows how long, Old General Wen finally spoke words that were shocking: “You want this old man to… rebel?”

…

That evening, the snow fell heavier and heavier.

Yanjing City under the night appeared extraordinarily translucent, as if sunk into a mist, hazy and indistinct, breathtakingly beautiful!

The people weren’t affected in the slightest by the Saixian Tower murder case or the cold heavy snow, continuing as usual.

The vast Yanjing City remained bright with lights shining red, prosperous as smoke!

Court of Judicial Review Prison

The prison exuded a heavy damp smell, mixed with stench and the scent of blood. The further inside one went, the more nauseating it became.

Wen Che used his authority to quietly bring Ji Yinshu and Jingrong inside.

The cell where Su Ziluo was held wasn’t large. The floor was covered with scattered straw and a simple thin blanket.

Due to year-round dampness, the walls around the cell were covered with moss, mottled and visible.

The dim candlelight was also blown by the cold wind from outside the iron window, swaying and flickering, bright then dark, carrying an eerie and sinister feeling…

At this moment, Su Ziluo sat in his wheelchair, legs covered with a thin blanket, his expression calm. His deep eyes gazed at the small iron window in the cell. Outside the window, white snow flew and cold wind howled. Snowflakes like winged spirits, draped in crystal-like lustrous coats, drifted past.

Yet they were so sorrowful…