Chapter Twenty: Seeking the True Culprit

The sky remained overcast and dreary as Hua Rong curled herself up in a corner by the wall, occasionally catching sight of traces left by rats scurrying across the street. Fortunately, she never had much fear of such creatures, but staying in this place was truly terrifying, enough to make her skin crawl.

“How many people are imprisoned here, I wonder? Among the forty-four nations, their fates hang in the balance.” She sighed, never expecting that her simple inquiry about the mastermind behind the scenes would land her in such dire straits.

“Heavens really are blind! Why must all these troubles fall upon me alone?” First came the emperor’s restless scheming, and now this wrongful imprisonment—everything seemed like a cruel joke played at her expense.

Lost in anxious thought, Hua Rong was startled when the cell door suddenly swung open and two jailers entered. “His Majesty wishes to interrogate you. Come out!”

“What? The emperor himself will question me? Is this deliberate revenge?” Recalling yesterday’s events, though Jun Yeli had readily spoken of forgiveness, his decision to personally interrogate her today hinted at malicious intent.

Led into the interrogation chamber, Hua Rong’s gaze fell upon the walls lined with instruments of torture, her face drained of color in fright. She swallowed nervously, feeling as though those cruel devices were already being used on her.

“It hurts just thinking about it!” She shivered, her eyes trembling as they fixed upon Jun Yeli seated at the head. “Your… Your Majesty… peace to you.”

“To meet in such a place is hardly a favorable omen,” Jun Yeli spoke coldly, his voice icy and piercing, filling the room with dread.

Hua Rong was at a loss for words. “What sort of situation is this? I knew he was here for revenge—now his true nature is showing!” She took a deep breath, forcing a smile as she attempted one last act of familiarity. “Your Majesty, I truly have been wronged. Please, you must believe me!”

“Then why did you go to see that assassin? Why did she die right after your visit? Did you give her anything while you were there? What is your relationship with her? Was it to silence her?” The barrage of questions left her bewildered.

Hua Rong felt awkward. “You ask so much, it’s hard enough to remember it all—how am I supposed to answer you?” This man, whether out of urgency or something else, could hardly act like a normal person at such a moment!

Yet, given the importance of her own life, Hua Rong recounted the entire sequence of events, then emphasized once more, “Because that assassin wanted to kill me, I merely hoped to uncover the mastermind behind it all. I went to guard against her, but who could have guessed she would suddenly take poison and end her own life!”

Had she known the assassin was so desperate, Hua Rong, even living in constant fear, would never have meddled in this matter.

Jun Yeli listened to her explanation in silence, deep in thought. “Indeed, with a mind as dull as yours, it’s unlikely you’d think to silence anyone.”

After all, the assassin hadn’t revealed anything yet—why hurry to silence her? Why not act on the day of imprisonment? Jun Yeli still trusted in Hua Rong’s innocence but could not afford to show it openly. The circumstances were all too coincidental: the assassin attempted to kill Hua Rong, then died in a manner meant to implicate her. Surely none of this was accidental, but orchestrated by someone.

He sighed lightly, then spoke in a tone of feigned sarcasm, “Do you have any evidence to prove your innocence?”

Hua Rong’s mind was momentarily overwhelmed. “You could ask anyone, but no one could prove their innocence without cause…” Having done nothing, there was nothing to prove—only by catching the mastermind could she clear her name.

Left with no choice, Hua Rong tried another approach. “Your Majesty, if you truly doubt me, would you join in the investigation to find the real culprit and prove my innocence? What do you think?”

It was her only option, otherwise her life was surely at risk. This suggestion aligned perfectly with Jun Yeli’s own intentions. “Since you’re so eager, I’ll leave the matter in your hands.”

How did he see eagerness in her? She only wanted to survive! Unconsciously, Hua Rong had complained inwardly a thousand times; it seemed this man was intent on playing games with her.

With this guarantee, Hua Rong was finally released from prison, though her movements and privileges were strictly limited due to lingering suspicions. The only people she could rely on now were the maids of her Xuanji Palace.

“If I’d known things would turn out this way, I wouldn’t have paid those others to leave. There’s strength in numbers, but now I’m left with only a few of you—what can we possibly do?” She looked gloomily at the four maids before her. The vast Xuanji Palace, now reduced to five people by her own hand, left her full of regret.

“Your Grace, you shouldn’t say that. Though we are few, each one of us is clever!” one maid protested, patting her chest with confidence.

But recalling their drunken antics the previous night—so carefree and foolish—Hua Rong’s lips twitched. “It seems none of you remember what happened yesterday…”

If they did, they’d surely avoid the emperor in the future, choosing the winding mountain roads over a direct path, lest they suffer the embarrassment of that night and its consequences.

The maids were puzzled. “Did something happen last night?”

“No, nothing at all,” Hua Rong shook her head, unwilling to discuss it further. Instead, she turned to Su Xin. “You said you saw a maid communicating with the assassin that day. Even if you didn’t see her face, did you notice any distinguishing features?”

Su Xin shook her head in distress. “The masked figure was tall and blocked the maid completely. I could only hear the voices, but couldn’t distinguish them.”

Hearing this, Cui Yu beside her breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then hurriedly spoke, “Your Grace, I think we could investigate the poison found in the corpse and trace its origin.”

Her suggestion was reasonable, but Hua Rong couldn’t help but frown at Cui Yu’s hoarse voice. “What’s wrong with your throat?”

“It’s nothing. I probably caught a chill last night and now my throat feels uncomfortable,” she replied, concealing her true voice to avoid being recognized by Su Xin and arousing suspicion.