Suzhen had been enjoying watching the show, thinking how these two men, despite their young age, both had such deep scheming, not mentioning the previous fight at all, as if one had never come and the other had never tried to take a life!

Suddenly being called out, she was startled. Seeing everyone looking at her with suspicion, and Lian Yu glaring at her particularly fiercely, she was forced to look at Quan Feitong. Cursing him thoroughly in her heart, she smiled and said: “Prime Minister Quan is really joking. How would this lowly official know your household concubine? Besides, shouldn’t your concubine be in your residence? Why suddenly ask this official about her?”

Quan Feitong’s lips curved even deeper: “She’s a new concubine I took here. Somehow she looks extremely similar to Minister Li. Though not a stunning beauty, she’s quite clever and sweet-tongued, saying everything I say is right, and even sharing my bed… Unfortunately, she vanished in the blink of an eye. I thought perhaps Minister Li was playing a joke on me, deliberately cross-dressing to tease me.”

Sharing a bed… Third Brother, could you lie any more outrageously? Suzhen was on the verge of tears. How she wanted to rush forward and punch him in the face… Seeing everyone’s gazes as if they wanted to devour her alive, even Li Zhaoting’s expression looked unpleasant, she quickly moved closer to Lian Yu’s side. Only Huang Tianba and the two men Mao and Yu seemed to have sudden understanding, probably realizing that the ugly girl that day had been her.

“Minister Li, Prime Minister Quan is asking you a question. Why don’t you answer?”

Lian Yu spoke up to remind her.

Suzhen secretly glanced at him and indeed saw his unfriendly gaze, his lips pressed down as if saying: Li Huaisu, you better explain this to me immediately!

Since they had both completely erased that day’s assassination attempt… She smiled and also spoke blind lies: “Prime Minister Quan must be mistaken. Huaisu has been constantly attending His Majesty – how could I suddenly appear in Minshan Prefecture? Moreover, Huaisu is genuinely male – why would I dress as a woman for no reason? It’s just that in this world, people do resemble each other – it’s not strange…”

“Indeed, the concubine I took was genuinely female. How could she be Minister Li, unless Minister Li was originally a woman? But that would be a capital offense – why would Minister Li knowingly break the law?” Quan Feitong suddenly changed direction, then smiled meaningfully: “When this case is concluded, why doesn’t Minister Li visit my residence as a guest?”

“My residence just built a hot spring pool, drawing from underground minerals. When people soak in it, it’s incomparably comfortable…”

In the room, aside from Meng Qiao and Commander Shao, with Lian Yu’s permission, Lian Jie had also told Yan Da about Suzhen’s identity. Lian Yu seemed intentionally bringing her identity into the open, probably planning to make her a consort in the future. Suzhen’s gender was already an open secret among a small group of people. When Quan Feitong said this, who didn’t gasp? Suzhen was now virtually half of Lian Yu’s woman. Lian Qin’s eyebrows shot up, Lian Jie also smiled coldly, and just as they were about to speak, Lian Yu had already opened his folding fan with a smile: “Hot spring water is smooth – indeed wonderful. When the time comes, Prime Minister Quan must invite me as well.”

A threesome? Everyone looked at Lian Yu, thinking: you’re ruthless. Quan Feitong was also quite surprised. After a moment, he said: “If Your Majesty is interested, then my humble residence will be glorified.” He thought for a moment, then turned to Li Zhaoting: “Zhaoting should come too.”

Li Zhaoting also glared fiercely at Suzhen. After a long while, he nodded and said “Good.”

Everyone was dumbstruck.

Suzhen felt depressed and alarmed, and seeing Shuangcheng glance lightly at Li Zhaoting, who remained calm. Suzhen knew he cared about Shuangcheng in his heart and thought she should find a chance to tell him that Lian Yu didn’t covet Shuangcheng – he and Shuangcheng would be fine.

Lian Yu’s eyes slightly raised as he continued smiling: “It’s just that, Prime Minister Quan, since Li Huaisu serves as Court Judge of our Great Zhou, I’m preparing to have him try Magistrate Huang’s case. If he can’t handle it well, he won’t deserve to remain as an official in the capital. I’ll dismiss him and drive him out of the capital – I’m afraid he might not be able to attend your appointment.”

“Wouldn’t that be a pity?”

Quan Feitong’s expression changed slightly but quickly returned to normal as he smiled and followed him inside.

Everyone was shocked to hear: this case would fall to this new top scholar again?

Suzhen was even more stunned – how… how was it her again!

This case was several times more troublesome than Pei Fengji’s case. Lian Yu had also suffered a setback before. Otherwise, why do you think he didn’t mention that day’s assassination at all today – he had told her that he could forcibly arrest Huang Tianba if he wanted, but Quan Feitong had calculated everything beforehand. Huang Tianba was acting in legitimate self-defense. Who knew whether the person who secretly explored the prison that night was really the emperor? If he really executed Huang Tianba for the crime of regicide without solid evidence, the Huang family wouldn’t accept it, and neither would the court or the people.

As Lian Yu passed by the two men Yu and Mao, he looked at them with a half-smile. The two trembled and quickly put on apologetic smiles, wondering in their hearts whether this emperor had already recognized them.

“Congratulations, you’re about to make another great contribution.” Lian Qin winked as he passed by her.

She made a gesture indicating she’d split his head open.

Lian Jie patted her shoulder consolingly. When Baihu and Qinglong walked by, Baihu looked at her somewhat resentfully, as if she had done something to wrong Lian Yu.

She said bitterly: “I’d rather go soak in the hot springs…”

At most she’d wear ten or twenty layers of clothes to soak – no one said you couldn’t wear clothes in hot springs.

Hearing this, Xuanwu raised his voice: “Your Majesty! The top scholar says he wants to go soak in hot springs…”

Lian Yu, walking ahead, slowly turned back. Suzhen shut her mouth.

Lian Xin, pulling Wuyan and Shuangcheng, gave her a cold look before following.

Suzhen smiled self-mockingly. Li Zhaoting, whether intentionally or not, fell to the back and said quietly: “This case isn’t easy to handle, and you’ve also angered Quan Feitong. Take care of yourself.”

Suzhen felt warmed by his concern and also lowered her voice: “Zhaoting, His Majesty won’t pursue Gu Shuangcheng anymore. In the future… be good to her. Don’t worry about my affairs anymore, and don’t let me implicate you. I don’t want to drag you down, and I won’t drag you down…”

Watching her thin figure in white robes brush past him and run forward, Li Zhaoting’s emotions were complex as he stood outside the door for quite a while before quickly entering.

The sky was slightly blue.

Lian Yu ordered Huang Tianba to open the yamen prison doors and bring out prisoners for trial.

Huang Tianba nodded and smiled, answering “Yes” with a serious and respectful demeanor when he raised his head. He had previously received a letter from his uncle Huang Zhongyue telling him to cooperate with Quan Feitong and be careful. As long as Lian Yu had no substantial evidence, they couldn’t touch him. He would lead the court’s veteran ministers to guard the Xiao’an pass.

Xiao’an greatly valued the court’s veteran ministers. Since Xiao’an had no sons and adopted Lian Yu, it was only with the strong support of various ministers that the late emperor was able to pass the throne to Lian Yu.

And since Lian Yu wasn’t actually Xiao’an’s biological son, the increasing number of young ministers pledging allegiance to Lian Yu might not necessarily be good for Xiao’an. If Lian Yu ever defied her, she would still need to rely on the veteran ministers who had supported her, or the second-generation officials descended from these ministers.

At this time, the prison warden led guards to open the innermost cell doors.

Here were confined those sentenced to death – all serious criminals. According to the previous impeachment documents, these were all people who had resisted when the government forcibly seized their land, or had offended wealthy merchants in Minshan Prefecture and been imprisoned by Huang Tianba.

This was just one batch.

Previously, dozens of people like this had already been executed here and sent to the underworld.

With the clanging of shackles, six ragged men and women were brought out. The dim light and air from the prison also carried a putrid stench.

Four middle-aged men and women, plus an old woman and an old man, all filthy and emaciated, their expressions completely vacant. The old man had disheveled hair, white as snow, with lines of hardship on his forehead deep enough to hold objects. He looked at least seventy years old, but his back was still straight. His body showed signs of torture – his old blue cotton robe was torn open with bloody red gashes… The old man was clearly a laboring commoner, his hands rough and dark, with prominent knuckles. His gaze was more clouded than the others, but he seemed to follow some stubborn instinct as he groped his way forward. When two young men nearby tried to help him, he refused…

Suzhen’s hands clenched slightly in her sleeves: What crime could this man have committed to not be allowed to enjoy his final years at this age?

When the group approached, guards had already forced them all to kneel. Huang Tianba’s secretary bowed to Lian Yu, then began reading the crimes of the death row prisoners.

“Wait—”

With a delicate shout, several guards tremblingly led in a group of women.

Everyone’s eyes lit up in surprise – these were people who absolutely shouldn’t appear here.

The three women who came were each beautiful as spring flowers and emerald leaves, each with their own charms. One was Princess Imperial Lian Yue of the Great Zhou, one was Imperial Noble Consort Murong Xi, and one was the beloved daughter of the Wei Kingdom’s Prime Minister who remained in the Great Zhou – Miss Miao.

She smiled slightly, holding a scroll of bright yellow silk in her hand.