Chapter 389: Interrogation (First Update)

Chu Liuyue thought she had misheard

"What?"

Mu Qinghe lifted his chin slightly

"In a moment, I will open the barrier. It won't attract anyone's attention, so just follow me inside."

Chu Liuyue was dumbfounded.

After all this time, Mu Qinghe actually intended to enter the Imperial Mausoleum!?

"Vice General Mu, this isn't quite appropriate, is it? A place like the Imperial Mausoleum... we are not members of the Yao Chen Kingdom's royal family. How can we just walk in?"

The problem wasn't whether it would attract attention, but that this was fundamentally wrong!

Mu Qinghe gave Chu Liuyue a cold glance, possessing an innate authority that commanded respect without anger.

"Are you unwilling to go?"

Chu Liuyue: "...It's not that I'm unwilling, but Vice General Mu, if you're going to do this, you must have a reason, right?"

Chu Liuyue racked her brains, yet she couldn't understand why Mu Qinghe suddenly wanted to do this.

First, no one in the Yao Chen Kingdom had offended Mu Qinghe; there was absolutely no need for him to dig up someone's ancestral graves.

Second, even if there were treasures hidden within the Imperial Mausoleum, Mu Qinghe likely wouldn't care for them.

He held a noble status in the Tianling Empire; what rare object in the world had he not seen? Why would he insist on breaking into a mere Imperial Mausoleum of the Yao Chen Kingdom?

Mu Qinghe narrowed his eyes, the scar on his face exuding a hint of ferocity.

Chu Liuyue immediately felt a chill wash over her heart and obediently changed her tune

"Please, lead the way—"

Given her current identity, asking Mu Qinghe for a reason was nothing more than looking for trouble for herself!

Since they were already here, she might as well follow Mu Qinghe inside to see what exactly he intended to do.

Seeing that Chu Liuyue was finally being obedient, Mu Qinghe withdrew his gaze.

He raised his right hand, and several streaks of silver light rapidly converged, eventually condensing into a strange pattern in his palm.

Chu Liuyue stole a quick glance and found that the pattern looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

But quickly, Mu Qinghe pushed his hand forward, and the silver pattern immediately flew out!

*Buzz, buzz!*

A faint humming sound echoed!

Within the void before them, ripples suddenly surged!

It was the very barrier that shrouded the entirety of Sijin Peak!

The moment the silver pattern touched the ripples on the barrier, the humming suddenly ceased, and the ripples froze instantly!

In the next moment, the silver pattern melted rapidly, silently seeping into the barrier!

The frozen barrier immediately cracked open a gap in the center, which then spread outward in all directions!

Finally, a circular entrance glowing with a faint silver light appeared before the two of them!

Chu Liuyue was inwardly startled.

The barrier of Sijin Peak was of a high grade, and its defensive power was very strong; it would have been impossible to break through so smoothly using ordinary methods.

Generally speaking, only a specific object that matched it could open it completely intact without causing any fluctuations.

It was clearly impossible for Mu Qinghe to possess the matching key to the Yao Chen Kingdom's Imperial Mausoleum barrier, yet this scene...

Chu Liuyue suddenly remembered that when she went to find Mu Qinghe a few days ago, he hadn't been home.

She hadn't paid it much mind then, but thinking about it now, it felt somewhat strange.

This clearly wasn't Mu Qinghe's first time at this place.

It was evident that he had put in considerable effort to enter this Imperial Mausoleum.

Chu Liuyue's mind raced, but her expression remained calm.

Mu Qinghe turned back to look at her, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny.

After a moment, he turned and walked forward.

"Keep up."

Chu Liuyue took a deep breath and looked up once more at the steep, towering peak and the shimmering barrier.

There were at least a hundred guards patrolling around Sijin Peak, and there were surely powerful experts stationed there as well.

But now that the barrier had been opened, they likely remained completely unaware.

She suppressed her thoughts and stepped across the barrier.

***

The Imperial Palace, the Empress's Bedchamber.

Facing Rong Jiu's questioning, the Empress merely kept her head lowered, remaining silent.

Rong Jiu was not surprised by her reaction.

In fact, although he had not personally interrogated the Empress during these past few days, it didn't mean he knew nothing.

Ever since returning from Seven-Cornered Alley, the Empress had been in this state.

Looking at her, she must have gone mad again.

He didn't care to waste time and went straight to the point

"Your Majesty, I hear you possess a box that you cherish extremely dearly?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Empress suddenly looked up as if she had received a massive shock!

"What box!? This Palace has none! This Palace knows nothing!"

Rong Jiu said indifferently

"Everyone around you has already confessed everything quite clearly, yet you are still unwilling to admit it?"

The Empress was startled, and she immediately guessed a part of it.

She had always kept that thing under extremely strict guard. In all these years, it had only been discovered once by a young eunuch.

Even though that young eunuch had only taken an accidental glance and knew nothing, the Empress had killed him nonetheless.

She thought everything was foolproof, but she hadn't expected... a single oversight!

That young eunuch must have told someone else before he died!

Over the past few days, Rong Jiu had arrested everyone in her palace for interrogation. Using some ruthless methods, he had actually managed to squeeze this information out!

Seeing the Empress's resistant expression, as if she still wanted to deny it, Rong Jiu simply said

"Imperial Father already knows about this matter. He sent me to tell you that if you honestly hand over the box, everything can be settled peacefully. But if you are unwilling, I fear you will not be able to bear the consequences."

The Empress hated him to the bone.

"I should have had you killed in the Northwest Army back then!"

Years ago, she had caused the death of Rong Jiu's biological mother and intended to move against Rong Jiu next. However, she happened to encounter the passing of Consort Wan at that time; Emperor Jiawen was in deep mourning, so it wasn't a good time to act, and she refrained.

Who would have thought that later, Rong Jiu would willingly go to the Northwest Army for training? Being thousands of miles away, she thought the frontier was harsh and life on the battlefield was unpredictable; perhaps Rong Jiu would soon die there, so she gradually let the matter go.

By the time Rong Jiu had established great military merits and risen rapidly through the ranks, it had become difficult for her to act.

Now, Rong Jiu had clearly come for revenge!

Facing the Empress's accusation, Rong Jiu remained unperturbed.

"It seems you are unwilling to hand the item over. In that case, I shall go and report to Imperial Father immediately."

Having said that, he actually turned to leave.

The Empress was stunned.

She had thought Rong Jiu would subject her to rigorous interrogation, but she hadn't expected him to let her go so easily?

In truth, Rong Jiu had other thoughts in mind.

The Empress had held out for so long without uttering a single word; she had clearly prepared herself for death.

Even if he stayed here to interrogate her for a whole day and tortured her to the brink of death, he likely wouldn't be able to get anything out of her.

The Empress had only one weakness—Rong Jin!

"Oh, right. After I return, I will ask Imperial Father to show some leniency and allow Imperial Brother to come and visit you. After all... having been mother and son, I believe Imperial Father won't be that heartless."

To let them see what the other looked like now—that scene would surely be spectacular.

Before the Empress could react, a faint sound suddenly came from behind the nearby screen.

Rong Jiu's footsteps paused, and his gaze turned toward that spot like a blade

"Who!?"

(End of Chapter)